Tags: Turkey, Satellite Positioning, Military Satellite
Publication: WorldBulletin.net
Publication Date: 03/29/2013

Gokturk-2 is Turkey’s highest resolution Earth observation satellite. Image credit: Turkish Aerospace Industries

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is planning to send five military reconnaissance and Earth observation satellites into space, according to reports. The new satellites would join Turkey’s Gokturk-2 Earth observation satellite launched last December.

The country’s newly created Space Group Command will lead the initiative as well as plans to set up a Turkish satellite positioning system, to decrease its dependency on the U.S. GPS. By using the American GPS, any missile launched by Turkey, for example, could be controlled by the U.S. and make its trajectory change.

TSK’s plan for the new satellites would enhance the military’s satellite communications. Currently, the military uses the national Turksat spacecraft but there is no dedicated military communications satellite.

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