The deadly earthquakes may have hit Turkey, but the Turkish military industry continues its activities focusing on issues in the organizational sector in order to speed up the processes for the country's National Aircraft.
According to an article by a reputable defense and war industry Turkish media outlet, "The Presidency of the National Combat Aircraft Group was established", the highlights of which are as follows:
"The newly established Group Presidency will focus exclusively on the MMU (TF-X National Combat Aircraft) project
According to information obtained by SavunmaSanayiST.com, a new group Presidency has been established under the Defense Industries Board (SSB) on the National Combat Project (MMU). The newly formed National Combat Aircraft Group Chairmanship will deal only with the MMU Project.
Until recently, the MMU Project was run under the Aircraft Division at SSB.
However, for the first time, SSB has established a 'Team Chair' specifically for a project.
Now the National Combat Aircraft Project will be conducted by the Chairmanship of the National Combat Aircraft Group in SSB henceforth.
What's Changing?
Due to the organizational structure of the Defense Industries Presidency, each Department or Group Presidency reports to a Vice-President. Whereas the National Combat Aircraft Project was previously run by a branch directorate attached to the SSB Aircraft Division, it will now be run by a Group Presidency reporting directly to an SSB Vice-President.
On the other hand, the Presidency of the National Aircraft Combat Team and the Aircraft Department are under the same Vice President, namely Serdar DEMİREL.
It is believed that this change will significantly contribute to the speed of decision-making for the MMU. (National Fighter Aircraft TF-X)
On the other hand, other aircraft projects such as HÜRJET and HÜRKUŞ will be carried out by the Aircraft Department as before.
Within the Air Force Command there is the "MMU Department", the staff of which is commanded by an Officer with the rank of Brigadier General.
National Aircraft Combat Program Calendar
The program calendar of the National Fighter Aircraft, which is planned to leave the hangar in March 2023 and make its first flight in 2026, was recently revised.
Consequently, the aircraft's first flight date was moved to 2023, the same year as the Roll-Out.
The first prototype of the National Fighter Aircraft, the largest project of the Turkish defense industry, was put on the final assembly line in recent months.
The aircraft will leave the hangar in March 2023.
The production of 3 MMU Block 0 prototypes is planned to be completed by the end of 2026. From 2029, it aims to start the production activities of the MMU Block I configuration and deliver 10 MMU Block IA/C to the Turkish Air Force.
The National Fighter Aircraft, which will be described as 4.5 generation in the first stage, aims to reach 5th generation status in the final stage. Currently, the US F-22 and F-35 fighter jets are known as 5th generation fighter jets. The Russian-built Su-57 and Chinese-built J-20 platforms are described as 4.5-generation fighters aiming to reach 5th-generation status."
The Turks are running to speed up the program of the National Fighter Aircraft TF-X
From the above, it is concluded that the Turks, by making structural changes to the Management of the MMU project of the TF-X National Fighter Aircraft, speed up the procedures and decision-making for the specific project, creating an independent Presidency for it, thus separating it from the aircraft programs HÜRJET and HÜRKUŞ that also run.
These developments in the field of the Turkish military industry fully justify our article-analysis, on the necessity of continuing and the priorities of the armament program of Greece, since our assessment is that the earthquakes in Turkey will result in a period of recession in Greek-Turkish relations. Βut not the abandonment by the Turks of aggressive views against our islands in the Aegean and of serving the ideology of the "Blue Homeland"
