Turkey is achieving so much in so little time, thanks to the changes to the Turkish laws allowing civilian companies to develop defence technology. Something which was illegal 6 years ago.
I can't actually wait untill 2014, when nearly all the 68 Surface Combatant Ships will enter service....the Turkish Navy will then be truly be a blue water force (Especially, with the addition of the 18,000 ton Attack Helicopter carrier).
The most important platforms I believe in the modernization process are the TF-2000 light destroyers and the 6 AIP Submarines (similar to Dolphin class in Israeli Navy).
The 150m, 4500 ton TF-2000 will also make up the backbone of our offensive capabilities and it will also add totally new powers to the Turkish Navy.
The 6 AIP subs will also be very capable. They are to be co-produced with the same German firm which has "donated" the Dolphin Class Subs to the Israeli Navy. They will also incorporate the sub-launched Popeye Turbo Land Attack missiles (Currently, being co-produced with the other Popeye missile family by a Turkish company which is a joint-venture with Rafael of Israel). Turkish officials state that the Turkish version of the Popeye Turbo will have a range of 150km, due to Turkey's Treaty agreement restraints. However, Israeli officials state that this is not true and that the actual range will remain 350 km.
Quote:
Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon"s one-day visit to Ankara Wednesday capped long and fruitful negotiations leading to a breakthrough strategic partnership between Israel and Turkey. Given Turkish geography and national religion, prime minister Bulent Ecevit could do no less than criticize his guest for his handling of the Palestinian question. But Sharon was given ample opportunity to rebut the criticism, and so level the small bump in the road to this epic relationship with the least possible pain to both sides.
DEBKAfile's military and Turkish sources note that it took far less time for the two leaders to dispose of the really cardinal issues and sign a series of pacts covering the co-production of Israel's anti-missile Arrow missile, the sale of Israeli Popeye and Popeye Turbo cruise missiles, and the continued deployment of Israeli air, naval and ground forces in Turkish bases, including new ones already under construction, according to DEBKAfile's sources, under the supervision of US Air Force engineers.
After a successful joint US-Turkish-Israel air exercise this summer over southern Turkey, the Israeli and Turkish leaders were able to move forward swiftly to coordinate Israeli and Turkish air defenses under a joint command for guarding the skies over the eastern Mediterranean, northern Iraq and western Iran.
What this adds up to is a series of sweeping military accords which for the first time in Israeli's history permits the IDF to operate in the Middle East out of bases located in a Moslem country against Arab aggressors, be they Syrian, Iraqi or Iranian.
See Israel - Turkey-Israel: What "strained relations"?
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Quote:
Turkey initially bought 50 Popeye I missiles for its fleet of F-4s being upgraded at Israel Aircraft Industries. At least 40 Popeye I missiles were delivered to Turkey in 1997 with a second batch of 60 shipped in 1998. In May 1997 Israel and Turkey agreed to jointly produce the Popeye II air-to-ground missile in a deal initially worth about $100 million dollars. The new deal involved a consortium to be established between two Turkish firms and Rafael to jointly produce the Popeye II, a smaller missile with more advanced technology. The Popeye II, also known as the Have Lite, is designed for deployment on fighter aircraft and has a range of 150 kilometers. The Popeye II missiles were expected to be delivered beginning in 2000. The overall Popeye-I and Popeye-II missiles program with Turkey was valued at some $500 million.
AGM-142 Raptor / Have Nap / Popeye - Smart Weapons
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See also:
Israel, Turkey to make 'Popeye' missiles - Jerusalem Post | Encyclopedia.com
JINSA Online -- Turkey to Buy and Co-Produce Israeli Popeye Missiles
Israel to begin delivering Popeye missiles to Turkey - Jerusalem Post - HighBeam Research
Ankara requests more Popeye missiles from Tel Aviv France hopeful on Turkey's candidacy chance Ibrahim Sahin visited Israeli weapons companies a week - Turkish Daily News Dec 04, 1997
"Triple Alliance": The US, Turkey, Israel and the War on Lebanon
Signing ceremony
Oh I love this picture so much...It shows that Islam is not the enemy of Israel, but rather it is Arab Nationalism.
