Turkish HİK aircraft to patrol airspace for 60 hours during NATO summit in Ankara

The Turkish Air Force’s Havadan İhbar ve Kontrol (HİK) aircraft, also known as the E‑7T “Barış Kartalı”, will conduct a continuous 60‑hour surveillance mission for the 36th NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara. Based at the 3rd Main Jet Base in Konya, the planes will carry out eleven sorties with a 15‑person crew, each flight lasting about 8.5 hours. The multi‑function radar can scan 360 degrees and detect air and sea targets up to 400 km, relaying data in real time to command centres, combat aircraft and naval units.

Binbaşı Fatih Kulak, commander of the HİK task‑force, said the first sortie will cover the Black Sea sector and that the aircraft will provide early warning of any unidentified aircraft approaching Turkish airspace. He added that the mission demonstrates Turkey’s discipline and operational capability within NATO operations, which also include joint activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea.

The continuous patrol aims to ensure the safety of summit leaders and delegations by monitoring both aerial and maritime approaches and promptly reporting any potential threats.