Turkey’s top procurement officer Ismail Demir announced on Twitter on December 16 that the Turkish Navy has commissioned two ATR-72 (Turkey’s P-72) maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) as part of the MELTEM-III program.
The first P-72 aircraft (Tail TCB-751) was delivered to the Turkish Navy in 2020, while the second aircraft (TCB-752) entered service in March 2021. Recently the Turkish Navy increased the P-72MPA fleet to four by delivering two more MOA (TCB-753 and TCG-754).
Head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Ismail Demir said “As part of the Meltem-3 project, we delivered two more P-72 maritime patrol aircraft to the Turkish Navy. Our maritime patrol aircraft, a strategic component of our navy, are ours in the air. It helps to strengthen the power of the country.”
“We have added new steel-wing guards to our Blue Homeland (protection). We have delivered two more P-72 Marine Patrol Aircraft to the DzKK as part of the Meltem-3 Project. Our Marine Patrol planes, which serve as the strategic element of the DzKK, add strength to our country’s power in the sky,” Ismail Demir wrote on his Twitter account.
The ATR 72TMPA is the Turkish Navy version of ATR 72ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare). ATR 72ASW is an efficient medium-sized anti-submarine aircraft with competitive procurement and operational costs.
The ATR 72 turboprop regional aircraft is manufactured by the French-Italian ATR joint venture (Alenia Aermacchi/EADS). The aircraft is capable of conducting maritime patrol roles, Anti-Submarine Warfare, search and rescue, vessel search and identification, drug, smuggling and piracy control, environmental control, economic exclusive zone patrol (off-shore platforms) missions.
In July 2021, Alenia Aermacchi and TUSAS signed an agreement for the MELTEM-III Program that includes the procurement of six ATR72-600 aircraft and their conversion to the Turkish Navy’s anti-submarine warfare configuration. Under the deal, in April 2013, the ATR72-600 arrived at Turkish Aerospace Corporation’s facility. The remaining two aircraft that would be produced under the MELTEM-III project are expected to be completed in 2022.
Although in recent years, the Turkish Navy has been using manned and unmanned assets to strengthen its naval air force, this year is considered to be most productive for the Turkish Naval Aviation Command, with the delivery of three ATR-72 modern maritime patrol aircraft, the launch of Aksungur, (first high-endurance unmanned combat aircraft) which is capable of flying continuously for more than 60 hours and conducting small strikes against enemy’s surface forces.
At present, The Turkish navy fleet has 16 combat drones with one more UAV expected to be operational before the end of this year. The Turkish navy is also capable of managing both manned and unmanned assets in the naval field.
