Turkish Air Force Deploys HİK Surveillance Aircraft for 60‑Hour NATO Summit Patrol

Turkey’s Air Force has dispatched its Havadan İhbar Kontrol (HİK) aircraft from the 3rd Main Jet Base in Konya for a continuous 60‑hour mission supporting the 36th NATO State and Government Leaders Summit in Ankara. The aircraft, also called E‑7T, are equipped with multifunction electronic scanning radars that provide 360‑degree air and sea coverage and can identify targets up to 400 km away. Detected information is relayed in real time to ground operation centres, other aircraft and naval vessels.

Mission commander Lieutenant‑Colonel Fatih Kulak said the HİK fleet will monitor Turkish airspace, including the Black Sea sector, and stand ready for any extension of the task. A crew of 15 will conduct roughly eight‑and‑a‑half hour flights, maintaining readiness for rapid response to unidentified aircraft approaching Turkey’s airspace. The deployment underscores Turkey’s role in NATO’s collective air‑space surveillance and demonstrates the capability of its “Peace Eagle” fleet in both national and allied operations.