Civilian-Army row over procurement resurfaces

The Undersecretariat of the Defense Industry (SSM), controlled by civilians in theory but occasionally feeling the heat of the user, i.e., the politically powerful Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), is in a dispute with the TSK over the acquisition of electronic warfare systems, code-named Spews 2 plus, to be installed on 58 US Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 50 C single-seat fighters.

This latest dispute between the SSM and the military over military procurement is likened to the ongoing differences of opinion between the political leadership and the military over serious internal and external policy issues such as Kurds, Cyprus and the PKK in northern Iraq. In military procurement too, the boundaries are blurred in the user-buyer relationship despite ongoing attempts by the political leadership to have a final say on the purchase of arms systems.
The latest row between the civilian government and the military emerged over the choice to install BAE Systems North America, local Aselsan-Mikes developed electronic warfare self-protection suites on 30 additional F-16s to be purchased from Lockheed Martin. Electronic warfare (EW) systems enable pilots to detect enemy radars thus allowing escape from the enemy in a timely manner. Military sources close to the Turkish Air Force Command told Today's Zaman that the Air Force as well as the Turkish General Staff -- the final approval mechanism for the military requirements of all three services, i.e. the sea, land and air forces -- insisted on installing American ITT IFWOS systems on the additional 30 F-16s to be purchased, jeopardizing the serial production of Aselsan-Mikes design Spews 2 under US-owned BAE North America license.
Spews 2 systems were planned to be installed on 58 F-16s in 2010. The General Staff reportedly told the SSM that Spews 2 under development by the Aselsan-Mikes and BAE Systems North America partnership could be installed on 58 F-16s as planned, but sought ITT systems, it claimed to be a better system, to be installed on the additional 30 F-16s. SSM Undersecretary Murad Bayar, for his part, reportedly insisted that Spews 2 also were an effective system and should be installed on the 30 additional F-16s too in addition to the 58 F-16s.

A defense industry source told Today's Zaman that the SSM had already paid a lot of money for the development of the Spews 2 systems and their installation on the 30 additional F-16s would make the project cost effective and enable the continuation of the development program in Turkey, boosting the local industry.
According to well-informed military sources, the core of the dispute over whether ITT systems should be installed on the 30 additional F-16s stems from a divergence of opinion within the military.
"Those who seek the installation of the ITT systems instead of Spews 2 on the 30 F-16s are the group of top generals who are defying the decision made under the former Air Force commander retired Gen. Cumhur Asparuk in favor of Spews 2," said the same sources.
After several years of long negotiations, the SSM signed on Jan. 16, 2003 a $190.4 million deal with local Aselsan-Mikes and BAE systems North America for the co-production of the electronic warfare self-protection suites to be equipped on the 58 C single-seat fighters.
Aselsan-Mikes' share in the project is set at $100 million but the total project cost later increased to $228 million. Prime contractor Aselsan-Mikes has been developing under BAE Systems North America license the AN/ALQ-178(V)+ airborne radar warning and jamming system (Spews 2 plus) for 58 F-16s.

LALE SARIİBRAHİMOĞLU, TODAY's ZAMAN, LINK