ORAC
13th Sep 2016, 07:15
Turkish Air Force Looks To Rebuild After Failed Coup | Combat Aircraft content from Aviation Week (http://aviationweek.com/combat-aircraft/turkish-air-force-looks-rebuild-after-failed-coup)
......"The Turkish air force is engaged in an uphill struggle to rebuild following the July 15 failed coup against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hundreds of air force officers were detained or purged from the ranks over their apparent role in the putsch, allegedly led by former air force commander Gen. Akin Ozturk and spearheaded from Akinci air base near Ankara........
Following the dismissals, the air force is now without some of its most experienced officers and faces a painful pilot shortage. According to Turkish media reports, nearly 600 officers have been removed from duty; of these, some 250 were experienced fighter pilots, many from the F-16 community.......... a mid-August report by the Turkish news organization T24 states that the purge has shrunk the ratio of air force pilots to aircraft from about 1-1.5:1 to 0.8:1. Independent analysts confirm the figures.
Air force commanders are working to address the need by lowering the threshold for entry into officer training. New laws, such as Regulation 671 introduced in early September, allow graduates in their second or third year of university to apply to become air force officers. Previously, the requirement was a completed degree. The service is also hoping incentives will attract personnel who recently left it to rejoin.........
To rid itself of echoes from the failed coup, the air force is also dissolving the three Akinci F-16 squadrons, 141, 142 and 143 Filos, and renamed the base Murted—“apostate”—a reference to its role in the coup. Turkish reports say another two squadrons, based at Bandirma, across the water from Istanbul, will also be disbanded shortly. The aircraft from those units will be redistributed to other fast-jet squadrons..........."
......"The Turkish air force is engaged in an uphill struggle to rebuild following the July 15 failed coup against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hundreds of air force officers were detained or purged from the ranks over their apparent role in the putsch, allegedly led by former air force commander Gen. Akin Ozturk and spearheaded from Akinci air base near Ankara........
Following the dismissals, the air force is now without some of its most experienced officers and faces a painful pilot shortage. According to Turkish media reports, nearly 600 officers have been removed from duty; of these, some 250 were experienced fighter pilots, many from the F-16 community.......... a mid-August report by the Turkish news organization T24 states that the purge has shrunk the ratio of air force pilots to aircraft from about 1-1.5:1 to 0.8:1. Independent analysts confirm the figures.
Air force commanders are working to address the need by lowering the threshold for entry into officer training. New laws, such as Regulation 671 introduced in early September, allow graduates in their second or third year of university to apply to become air force officers. Previously, the requirement was a completed degree. The service is also hoping incentives will attract personnel who recently left it to rejoin.........
To rid itself of echoes from the failed coup, the air force is also dissolving the three Akinci F-16 squadrons, 141, 142 and 143 Filos, and renamed the base Murted—“apostate”—a reference to its role in the coup. Turkish reports say another two squadrons, based at Bandirma, across the water from Istanbul, will also be disbanded shortly. The aircraft from those units will be redistributed to other fast-jet squadrons..........."