17.12.2025 09:35
The Ministry of National Defense announced that the UAV, which entered Turkish airspace over the Black Sea, was shot down by F-16s. As details of the operation emerged, it was learned that the rogue UAV was hit by a missile fired from an F-16 fighter jet after an alarm reaction was given from the Air Operations Center in Eskişehir, in an uninhabited area near the borders of Ankara province.
The Ministry of National Defense recently stated that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that was approaching our airspace from the Black Sea and was deemed to have lost control was shot down by F-16s.
MoND: IT WAS SHOT DOWN IN A SAFE AREA
In its statement, the MoND said, "An air trace approaching our airspace from the Black Sea was detected and was put under surveillance as part of routine procedures. In order to ensure the security of the airspace, alarm reaction duties were assigned to our F-16s under NATO and National Control. It was determined that the air trace was an unmanned aerial vehicle that had lost control; to prevent any negative incidents, it was shot down in a safe area outside of populated areas."
DETAILS OF THE OPERATION EMERGED
Following the Ministry of National Defense's statement, details of the operation against the rogue UAV also emerged. According to a report in Milliyet Newspaper, due to the NATO mission, a suspicious air trace that was approaching Turkish airspace over the Black Sea at low altitude raised concerns at the center in Eskişehir, which also serves as a Combined Air Operations Center. Radar data was shared with NATO through the relevant screen.
"A PROPELLER WAS IDENTIFIED ON THE TOP OF THE UAV"
It was considered that the tracked air trace could initially be a weather balloon used by meteorology. After the suspicious vehicle entered Turkish airspace, initial detections made by aircraft taking off from Merzifon 5th Main Jet Base revealed that there was a propeller on the top of the UAV.
ALARM REACTION WAS GIVEN TO F-16 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
It was observed that it followed a route towards the Çankırı - Ankara - Kırıkkale line. Due to its flight along a straight line, the UAV was assessed to be satellite-linked and deemed to have lost control. Subsequently, an alarm reaction was given to the F-16 fighter aircraft that were in a "waiting position" from the operations center.
HERE IS THE LOCATION WHERE IT WAS SHOT DOWN
The tracked UAV was shot down by an F-16 fighter jet with a missile in a safe area that was not populated, approximately 200 kilometers inland, to ensure that civilians were not harmed. It was stated that the UAV was shot down along the line between Çankırı and Elmadağ in the Çankırı - Ankara - Kırıkkale triangle.