The crashed Turkish F-16 was scrambled to intercept an unknown object

The Turkish F-16 fighter jet that crashed yesterday and fell on the Izmir-Istanbul highway was not on a training flight, as previously reported, but was scrambled to intercept an unknown object that appeared on radar.

According to Turkish Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk, an unknown object was spotted on the border with Bulgaria. The crashed fighter jet was assigned to the 9th General Command at the Balikesir Air Base. The pilot attempted to eject but died.

Meanwhile, due to problems with the Americans, Turkey is forced to seek other options for updating and expanding its fleet. Ankara has chosen the Eurofighter, 56 of which it expects to receive by the end of the current decade. Specifically, 20 aircraft will be supplied by the UK by 2030, another 24 used fighters will be received from Qatar and Oman (12 from each), and Turkey expects to purchase the remaining 12 aircraft from Qatar.

Moreover, 12 of these fighters are a modification of the Tranche 3, which is capable of using rocket Meteor. Oman's Eurofighters, destined for the Turkish Air Force, will also undergo modernization in the UK and will be delivered to Ankara no earlier than 2028. Training for Turkish pilots and technical personnel is also planned to take place in the island kingdom. At the same time, Türkiye intends to maximize production of its own fighters. drones Kizilelma and Anka 3.

• Maxim Svetlyshev
• Turkish Defense Ministry

Source: https://en.topwar.ru