Tony Gill/VIRGINIA
TURKEY IS PREPARING to issue yet another request for proposals (RFP) to upgrade its Northrop F-5A/Bs, following unsuccessful attempts to begin a modernisation programme.
An RFP could be issued as early as June for a cockpit update to convert 34 F-5A/Bs into lead-in trainers for the air force's Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds.
Industry sources say that the Turkish air force and undersecretariat for defence industries (SSM) have had meetings recently to finalise the RFP, which will follow closely the technical requirements of the original 1993 document.
The air force is known to want an F-16-style cockpit, with head-up display, video recorder, laser-gyro inertial-navigation/global-positioning system, air-data computer and 1553B digital databus. Turkey has made several attempts to update its F-5s. In May 1993, the SSM issued an RFP to update 60 aircraft (40 F-5As and 20 F/NF-5Bs), but budget doubts resulted in the bids being returned unopened a year later.
In 1994-5, the Canadian Government, through Bristol Aerospace, offered to sell Turkey recently retired CF-5s, already modified as lead-in trainers, but the deal offered little Turkish-industry involvement and was not accepted.
In 1995, Turkey's Government tried to restart the programme by signing a memorandum of understanding with US investment company Triton Systems, under which 36 F-5A/Bs would be modernised for resale, to finance the update of 34 aircraft for the Turkish air force. Early in 1996, in the face of doubtful F-5 resale opportunities, SSM abandoned the Triton plan.
Bidders for the original programme are expected to be invited to respond to the latest RFP, and include Bristol Aerospace, Elbit, Israel Aircraft Industries, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell, Sierra Technologies and Sogerma-Socea (Triton's former partner).
Upgrade work is expected to be performed at the Turkish air force's maintenance centre at Eskesehir AB, rather than at TUSAS Aerospace Industries, which co-produces F-16C/Ds. The air force also intends to modernise 54 of its McDonnell Douglas F-4Es.
Under the terms of a contract with Israel Aircraft Industries, 26 of the aircraft will be upgraded in Israel, with work on the remaining 28 aircraft scheduled to be carried out at Eskesehir.
Source: Flight International
