It remains to form and bring to mind his air groupTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the commissioning ceremony of the newest universal amphibious assault ship (UDC) L400 Anadolu ("Anadolu").
It took place on April 10 at the Istanbul shipyard of the national shipbuilding company Sedef.
Speaking, Erdogan noted that more than 130 local subcontractors participate in the program, and up to 70% of components are supplied by domestic industry. "This ship has the characteristics that will allow us to conduct military and humanitarian operations in any corner of the world when necessary," the Turkish leader said.
According to Erdogan, the inclusion of the L400 among the active forces of the fleet provides a vivid example of the substitution of imports of high-tech military products. Anadolu became the largest warship in the history of the Turkish navy, surpassing the battlecruiser Yavuz, built by German shipbuilders on the eve of the First World War.
The main purpose of the UDC is the transportation and landing of marine troops. According to the developers, the ship can transport an entire battalion of marines along with 94 armored vehicles, including 13 tanks.
The UDC has a solid (from bow to stern) flight deck and hangars for storing aircraft, capable of accommodating up to 19 helicopters and 30 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The main striking force of the ship will be Bayraktar TB3 (BTB3) type screw UAVs, and in the future – Kızılelma jet.
Sometimes the Turkish media call Anadolu an aircraft carrier, which, of course, is an exaggeration. Its total displacement is 27 thousand tons against 106 thousand tons of the American nuclear-powered Nimitz-type and 60 thousand tons of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. The speed with the Marines and the air group on board is only 20 knots, which is at least a third lower than the corresponding figure of the "American".
At the same time, the construction and commissioning of Anadolu represents a huge achievement for the local industry and fleet.
Retired US Army Colonel Rich Outzen, a senior researcher at the Atlantic Council in Washington, believes that the adoption of the L400 into service "changes the rules of the game" for the Turkish Navy (Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri, TDK), giving them the opportunity to "project force" over long distances. In practice, TDK now have the equipment and weapons to conduct not only reconnaissance, but also strike operations throughout the Mediterranean.
CONTINUATION OF THE LINESeljuk Bayraktar, Technical Director of the Turkish company Baykar Makina, presented photos of the first flight prototype of the BTB3 at the end of March.
The new device is a development of the Bayraktar TB2 (BTB2) serial reconnaissance and strike UAV. In fact, BTB3 represents a deck-based variant of BTB2. The first carrier is the UDC L400.
The public presentation of the BTB3 prototype will take place at the TEKNOFEST 2023 aviation and industrial show, which will be held at Istanbul Ataturk Airport from April 27 to May 1.
The development of BTB3 has been going on since 2021. Made on the basis of BTB2, it is somewhat larger and differs in the folding mechanism of the wing for storage in the ship's hangar. In addition, he has a hook for catching the brake cables stretched over the deck. The values of the maximum take-off weight and payload weight of VTB 3 given in the brochures are twice as high as the corresponding figures for VTB 2. It is assumed that the BTB3 will carry an expanded set of sensor equipment and weapons.
Formally, the L400 UDC has already been adopted by TDK, but it has yet to undergo various kinds of tests. After Turkey's exclusion from the program of the American F-35B carrier-based aircraft, we are no longer talking about arming TDK ships with such aircraft equipment. Since 2020, Ankara prefers to focus on plans to ensure the deployment of Turkish-made drones on the L400. First of all, we are talking about the products of the Baykar manufacturer - the BTB3 piston UAV and the Bayraktar Kizilelma jet. To ensure the take-off and landing of these vehicles from the deck of the ship, they are supposed to be equipped with special acceleration and braking devices.
A new video from the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate (SSB) contains footage showing a BTB3-type UAV on the L400 deck. It is reported that the UDC can take on board up to 36 such devices. The content of the video allows us to conclude about the desire of TDK naval commanders to place a fairly large number of drones on the L400, sufficient to equip three squadrons. They are assigned the tasks of conducting aerial reconnaissance and launching missile and bomb attacks on the enemy.
Baykar Makina company also held a presentation of the prototype of the Kızılelma shock UAV. Flight tests of the prototype are scheduled to take place during 2023. The drone will be able to take off and land on the UDC in automatic mode. In November 2021, Baykar Makina ordered AI-322F and AI-25TLT jet engines from the Ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress. According to the traction class, they are quite suitable for Kızılelma. The declared technical characteristics of the UAV: maximum speed – 800 km / h, payload – 1500 kg.
AMBITIOUS TASKSThe Turkish leadership sets ambitious goals for the military-industrial complex (MIC).
Among them is providing the national armed forces with all types of weapons and military equipment, as well as increasing exports of military products. However, the Turkish defense industry remains critically dependent on the import of components and foreign technologies. Many complex systems are created in partnership with foreign developers. Sometimes the dependence on foreign competencies reaches 100%, in other cases it is reduced to critically important purchased products. This disadvantage is most clearly manifested in the motor industry.
The situation is aggravated by the difficulty of access to Western military engines, licenses and technologies. The reason for this is the aggravation of relations with Western countries that have subjected Turkey to formal and informal embargoes.
In addition to the wide range of miniature guided munitions available to the BTB2, the deck version of the BTB3 will be able to use the latest line of guided modular ammunition Kuzgun. With a weight of about 100 kg, Kuzgun (in the simplest basic version) is about twice as heavy as American Hellfire aircraft missiles and has impressive versatility. The Kuzgun is available in the configuration of a turbojet-powered cruise missile, an air-to-surface solid-fuel missile, or a gliding aerial bomb. It can use all kinds of guidance algorithms: radio command remote control, an inertial system with correction by satellite signal, active and passive radar homing heads, as well as those using a laser beam or infrared radiation.
The maximum range (in the version of a cruise missile) is 240 km.
The BTB3 is capable of taking to the air with just one long-range cruise missile on an external suspension. Since an entire air group of several dozen drones is based on the UDC, it will be able to organize a massive missile strike. At the same time, such a scenario is possible that a group of attack UAVs will be able to carry out launches without entering the range of the enemy air defense system.
The concept of using BTB3 raises numerous questions. The experience of modern military conflicts shows that the combat stability of such low-speed aircraft is low. A UAV of this dimension is an easy target for a jet fighter and an anti-aircraft missile system of medium and long range. At the same time, the combined weight of a squadron's salvo of such devices is small compared to the ammunition of cruise missiles of a guided missile destroyer (EM URO). There is no answer yet to the question of whether light turboprop UAVs are capable of providing effective fire support to a marine landing? It is also unknown whether they will be able to overcome the air defense system of the Order of modern warships.
So far, only one area is being viewed, where marine drones will find their niche. It's about patrolling. The ability to barrage in the right area for days without endangering the crew is in demand for the protection of maritime borders. Compared to manned patrol aircraft, drones are cheaper to operate and less susceptible to wear. After several months of daily sorties, the patrol aircraft unit will be forced to stop operations. Crews need rest, and aircraft need periodic maintenance in the technical and operational part. Drones also need maintenance, but it is less time-consuming.
The price factor will be crucial for the commercial success of BTB3. The popularity of Turkish drones in the global arms market is explained by good financial parameters. By purchasing BTB2, foreign customers get access to drone strike technologies at a price two to three times cheaper than Israeli or American counterparts. VTB 3 capabilities may be unclaimed if you have to pay three times as much money for a twofold increase in combat capabilities.
In addition to BTB3, Turkey in the category from 1.5 to 4 tons already offers three more drones for export (Anka-S, Aksungur and Akinci). What is the strategy of Turkish UAV manufacturers?
Firstly, Turkish companies are experimenting with various form factors and aerodynamic schemes. Given the relative cheapness of drones, the Turkish Ministry of Defense can afford to purchase different types of UAVs in small batches. By doing so, the customer supports design bureaus and gets the opportunity to compare the effectiveness of various unmanned platforms in landfill conditions.
Secondly, Turkey is striving to create a full production cycle of all UAV components – and at the same time introduce advanced foreign technologies into new developments. If the Turkish state-owned company TAI is rather responsible for the first strategy, then the "private traders" from Baykar are responsible for the second. This does not prevent companies from sharing critical technologies.
Thirdly, Turkish manufacturers are developing their own ecosystem of unmanned aircraft. First of all, we are talking about a wide range of specialized guided munitions. These include small-sized gliding bombs of the MAM family, as well as ultralight guided missiles Cirit and Bozok.
JAPAN IS CONSIDERING DRONESThe Nikkei newspaper reported that the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JDF) are considering the possibility of using unmanned aircraft to intercept foreign aircraft at the borders of the country's airspace.
The country's military department is preparing to conduct comparative tests of selected types of UAVs. It is believed that modern unmanned vehicles are quite capable of detecting, identifying and tracking surface ships and vessels of foreign states.
Until recently, Japan's military construction programs ignored unmanned aircraft. The main reason was the lack of interest of the military. And the developed, but focused exclusively on domestic needs, the Japanese defense industry, in the absence of demand, did not try to create its own samples of drones. The country's lag in this area is explained by the specifics of its defensive doctrine and military policy due to the inertia of planning processes. The SS has never been tasked with conducting low-intensity combat operations.
According to Nikkei, Russia is exploring the possibility of acquiring an American MQ-9 Reaper drone or a Turkish BTB2. The latter is offered for export in a shock version for $ 15 million (with ammunition from 100 small–sized laser-guided planning bombs), and in a reconnaissance version - $ 5-6 million (with a full set of equipment).
The serial BTB2 does not fully meet the requirements of the SS. It is not capable of independently detecting surface targets and operating at a great distance from control stations on the coast. But the upgraded Bayraktar TB2S with satellite control may well be used to monitor the ships of the PLA Navy.
The Akıncı UAV with a maximum take-off weight of about 6 tons can take over the tasks of maritime patrol . In theory, the advertising value of the payload is sufficient to put on board a radar station. Various radar models for searching for surface targets are offered on the world market, as well as compact systems for setting sonar buoys. But the "marine" version of Akıncı is not yet among the offers of Baykar. And the dependence of Akıncı on turboprop engines of Ukrainian production calls into question the serial production of this model.
Visiting Tokyo on an official visit last fall, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country was ready to supply drones. It can be assumed that the interests of the two countries in this area will extend beyond the usual export contracts. In 2023, the Turkish Navy plans to adopt the BTB3 ship-based UAV. The new drone is capable of taking off from the ship and landing on the deck.
The Japanese fleet has seven aircraft carriers, including a pair of Izumo-type helicopter carriers (displacement 27 thousand tons, flight deck length 248 m), a pair of Hyuga-type helicopter carriers (18 thousand tons, 195 m) and three universal landing ships of the Osumi type (14 thousand tons, 139 m). At least four of these ships can be used as UAV carriers. Drones of the Sea Guardian type and the like are not inferior to deck helicopters in terms of the effectiveness of performing maritime patrol tasks.
It is known that the PRC is also developing shipboard UAVs, including specifically for equipping the UDC. Given this circumstance, it is reasonable to assume that Japan will show interest in BTB3. In this case, local naval commanders will request their own version of the UAV, created taking into account the requirements of the Japanese Navy to search for surface targets and conduct sonar reconnaissance. Taking into account the presence of a powerful production base, Tokyo may require a license from a foreign supplier to produce a UAV developed by it.
Today, there is no serial UAV capable of independently intercepting manned aircraft. The maximum speed of Chinese anti-submarine aircraft on the Y-8 or Y-9 platform is 650 km/h. For comparison: the BTB2 UAV with a piston engine is capable of developing only 222 km/h, and the MQ-9B Reaper with a turboprop engine is about 500 km/h.
To create an uninhabited interceptor, Japan needs a foreign partner with extensive experience in the field of unmanned aircraft and a developed production base. Turkey can become one. In response, Tokyo will provide Ankara with financial support for the implementation of complex aviation projects. After excluding Turkey from the fifth-generation F-35 fighter program and other international projects, the government of President Erdogan is searching for other sources of high technology for its aviation industry. At the same time, Japan is trying to catch up with its strategic opponent, China, in the field of unmanned aircraft. In short, Japan and Turkey are developing the necessary conditions for the growth of military-technical cooperation.
Vyacheslav IvanovVyacheslav Viktorovich Ivanov is a military expert.
