first 9 helicopters with ioc are to enter service next year in june. Remaining 51 helicopters will start entering service in mid 2013

Any confirmation on the types involved? Was it just F-16’s or were F-4 2020’s involved as well? How many CASA 235’s? Just the one?

Both F-16s and F-4E 2020s were used in the attacks. F-16s are equipped with LANTIRN while F-4E 2020s use earlier generation Pave Spike targeting pods. ASELSAN is testing locally developed ASELPOD targeting and navigation pod for F-16s and F-4Es but I’m not sure if it’s used or not in those missions.

TurAF has 2 x CN-235EW’s but it is not confirmed if all two were used or just one.

Gozcu 1 (Heron) UAVs were also used for ISTAR missions.

Outside of the Paveway’s mentioned earlier, do you know of any other munitions used or have those details even been released?

There are some reports that locally developed NEB (Nufuz Edici Bomba; Penetrator Bomb) was used in the attacks against caves. NEB was developed by TUBITAK SAGE as a bunker buster bomb with tandem penetrator warhead and uses laser guidance kit.

Some reports also say that HGK was also used. HGK (Hassas Gudum Kiti; Precision Guidance Kit) is a GPS/INS guidance kit for Mk84 bombs. It’s the Turkish equivalent of JDAM but with some important differences in design, such as control surfaces.

Turkish General Staff today released a press statement with details of the operations:

– The operation was conducted between 17 – 22 August, the period until 19 August being a coordinated air & artillery strike.

– Targets hit during air strike include:

August 20: Metina, Zap, Avasin – Basyan, Hakurk; 13 targets
August 21: Kandil region, Gara, Zap, Metina; 4 targets
August 22: Zap, hakurk, Avasin – Basyan, kandil region: 7 targets

– During the whole operation, a total of 132 targets were hit by fighters from 2nd Air Force with 102 sorties.

– 349 targets were hit by artillery units located close to Turkish – Iraqi border line

– A total of 24 sorties were flown for damage assesment and reconnaissance

– 73 bunkers, 6 shelters, 18 caves, 8 depots, 14 facilities/buildings, 1 ammunition depot, 9 AAA sites and 3 control checkpoints were destroyed.

– Total number of PKK casualties is difficult to determine: General Staff gives a number of 90 – 100 terrorists killed and around 80 terrorists carried to nearby hospitals for treatment. COMINT also reveals that PKK lost contact with huge numbers of groups. They are also preventing press staff from entering the Kandil region, supposedly for trying to hide the extension of the damage.

– Some groups fleeing from the Kandil region entered nearby villages, forcing locals to act as human shields.

– General Staff notes that coordinated land and air strikes against Northern Iraq will continue.

Anyways…moving on….

Any idea what types of munitions were used in the strikes? Where was the CN-235? Inside Iraq or right on the border?

Newspapers claim high rate of laser guided munition (Paveway II possibly) usage. TurAF in the past used Paveway II, Maverick, HOBOS in addition to CBU and Mk-‘s. There is also a possibility for the GPS guided HGK (JDAM-a-la-Turca) to be used. No confirmation though.

As for the CN-235EW, no information yet. It is known that this aircraft has been used widely in ELINT/COMINT missions. It carries special ESM / ECM equipment developed by ASELSAN.

In other news, according to the press statement of Turkish Joint Staff released today, a total of 60 targets in Kandil, Hakurk, Avasin – Besyan, Zap and Metina at Northern Iraq were hit by aircraft.

Prior to the airstrikes, a total of 168 targets in Zap, Avasin – Besyan and Hakurk at Norhern Iraq were hit by Turkish artillery.

It is highly possible that artillery missions were supported by Gozcu 1 (Heron) UAVs.