During its weekly press briefing, the Ministry of National Defence shared details regarding the F-16 that crashed during an alarm reaction mission near the Bulgarian border. The cause of the crash, in which the pilot was martyred, will be clarified following the aircraft accident investigation. Claims regarding the S-400 systems were also addressed.
What Happened in the F-16 Crash?
One of the F-16 fighter jets that took off following the detection of an unidentified radar track near the Bulgarian border lost contact. As a result of search and rescue efforts, it was determined that the aircraft had crashed.
The incident occurred on the night of February 25. As of 00:56, radio and radar contact with the aircraft was lost.
The F-16 took off from the 9th Main Jet Base Command located in Balıkesir. The incident took place along the Bulgarian border line.
The aircraft was under the control of Martyr Air Pilot Major İbrahim Bolat. It was determined that the pilot activated the ejection system at the last moment; however, he was martyred in the crash.
An alarm reaction mission was carried out for the identification and tracking of the unidentified radar track. The exact cause of the crash will be announced following the detailed examination by the accident investigation team.
According to ministry sources, two F-16s took off simultaneously. Contact with one of the aircraft was lost shortly afterward. The wreckage was reached as a result of the search and rescue operations launched immediately.
“Our Airspace Is Protected 24/7”
The Ministry of National Defence stated that Türkiye’s airspace is protected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a layered and integrated defence architecture covering radar, early warning, electronic warfare and interception elements. It was noted that alarm reaction missions against identified or unidentified air tracks are routinely carried out.
Response to S-400 Claims
During the briefing, allegations regarding the S-400 air defence systems were also raised. The Ministry announced that the systems are ready for duty and that there is no plan to deploy them in Somalia.
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