Operation Extended Hand

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OPERATION EXTENDED HAND
Security Classification: CONFIDENTIAL

SITUATION REPORT

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OVERVIEW OPLAN-EXTENDEDHAND / 2009 Classification: CONFIDENTIAL – HUMANITARIAN OPERATION Date: 09 FEB 2009 Originator: Turkish Air Force Command Distribution: Air Transport Command, Turkish Red Crescent, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joint Ops HQ Subject: Deployment of Firefighting Personnel and Equipment to Victoria, Australia I. SITUATION​ Since early January 2009, catastrophic bushfires have spread across the state of Victoria, Australia, overwhelming state and federal firefighting capacity. Following a formal request for international assistance relayed through the Office of the Victorian Premier in Ankara, the Government of the Republic of Türkiye has authorized an emergency airlift of firefighting personnel, vehicles, and humanitarian relief supplies to support Australian state authorities. Operational Considerations: Distance from Türkiye to Victoria exceeds 14,000 km, requiring staged refueling and crew rotation stops. Firefighting personnel drawn from the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) Aerial Firefighting Department and municipal fire brigades, embarked under Air Force logistical control. Heavy equipment (firetrucks, ATVs, pumping units) must be palletized and secured for outsized cargo transport. Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) to provide independent medical and relief cargo, transported separately from firefighting equipment for redundancy. The Turkish Air Force shall execute a strategic airlift using six (6) An-225 Mriya heavy transport aircraft, supplemented by two (2) civilian-registered Canadair CL-215 amphibious firefighting aircraft flown in company for eventual operational use in theater. Aircraft Task Allocation: 2x An-225 — Personnel transport, 300 firefighters each (600 total) 3x An-225 — Firefighting equipment: firetrucks, ATVs, portable pumps, and support vehicles 1x An-225 — Turkish Red Crescent medical, food, and emergency relief kits 2x CL-215 — Ferried in company formation for operational firefighting use upon arrival Flight Route: Türkiye → India (refuel/crew rest) → Singapore (refuel/crew rest) → Victoria, Australia (final leg) Prepared by: Col. Serhat Aksoy Air Transport Command – Turkish Air Force Staff Approved by: General İlker Başbuğ Chief of the General Staff

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PARTICIPANTS

DEPLOYING FORCE	HOST NATION
Republic of Türkiye Ayşe Çiller, Prime Minister Lana Prlic, Acting Interior Minister Overall Command: Maj. Gen. Erol Sancak, Commander Air Transport Command Airlift Coordination: Col. Serhat Aksoy, Air Transport Command Firefighting Contingent Lead: Fahrettin Uysal, OGM Aerial Firefighting Department Red Crescent Liaison: Dr. Meltem Karahan, Kızılay Disaster Response Unit	Commonwealth of Australia Julia Gillard, Prime Minister Jacinta Allan, Premier of Victoria

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ORDER OF OPERATIONS

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231. Filo "Bozkurt" A flight
x 6 Antonov An-225 Mriya (Heavy Strategic Transport)

• Tail 1 & 2 — Personnel Transport
  • x 300 Firefighters each (600 total)
  • x 8 Flight Crew + 4 Loadmasters per aircraft
  • x 2 Flight Surgeons per aircraft
• Fuel Reserves 100% Full capacity with reserve margin for three-leg staged flight
  Food & Water In-flight rations for 14-hour cumulative flight time, resupplied at each stopover
  Medical Onboard trauma kits, defibrillators, and in-flight medical staff

• Tail 3, 4 & 5 — Equipment Transport
  • x 4 Firetrucks per aircraft (12 total)
  • x 6 ATVs per aircraft (18 total)
  • Portable water pumping units, hose reels, and fire-retardant stores
  • x 6 Flight Crew + 6 Loadmasters per aircraft
• Tail 6 — Turkish Red Crescent Relief Cargo
  • Medical supplies, field hospital tenting, trauma kits
  • Shelf-stable food stores, bottled water, hygiene kits
  • Emergency shelter kits and blankets
  • x 6 Flight Crew + 4 Kızılay Logistics Officers

Bombardier/Canadair CL-215 (Civilian)

• x 2 CL-215 Amphibious Firefighting Aircraft
  • Flown in company formation with An-225 group
  • x 2 Pilots per aircraft, civilian OGM aircrew
  • Water capacity: 5,346 liters per aircraft

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CONFIDENTIAL HUMANITARIAN OPERATION İNSANİ YARDIM OPERASYONU This document pertains to a humanitarian relief deployment conducted by the Turkish Air Force in cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent and Australian civil authorities. Distribution limited to authorized personnel and cooperating agencies. Please direct inquiries to Air Transport Command, Etimesgut, Ankara.​

CONFIDENTIAL​ Flight Plan: KM < LM <WL < MK < NK < NJ < OJ < OI < PI < PH < OH < OG < OF​ PHASE I – MARSHALLING & LOADOUT (D–2 to D–1)​ Assemble firefighting personnel, equipment, and Red Crescent cargo at Kayseri Erkilet Air Base. Palletize and secure firetrucks, ATVs, and pumping equipment per outsized cargo loading standards. Conduct manifest verification and weight/balance calculations for each An-225 airframe. Position CL-215 aircraft for formation departure alongside airlift group. PHASE II – LEG ONE: TÜRKİYE TO INDIA (D0) KM < LM <WL < MK < NK (5 hours) Alex ​ Departure from Kayseri Erkilet Air Base in staggered sequence at 20-minute intervals. Landing at Hindon Air Force Station, India for refueling, crew rest, and aircraft inspection. Ground time: approximately 10 hours. PHASE III – LEG TWO: INDIA TO SINGAPORE (D1) < NJ < OJ < OI (3 hours) Owen ​ Departure from Hindon AFS following crew rest period. Landing at Australian Facility in Singapore for refueling, crew rotation, and cargo integrity check. Ground time: approximately 8 hours. PHASE IV – LEG THREE: SINGAPORE TO VICTORIA (D1–D2) < PI < PH < OH < OG < OF (5 hours) Owen ​ Final departure from Singapore toward RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria. Coordination with Australian air traffic control and CFA ground reception teams for staggered arrival sequencing. Immediate offload priority given to personnel transport aircraft (Tail 1 & 2) for rapid deployment to fire lines. Equipment aircraft (Tail 3–5) offloaded sequentially; vehicles staged at CFA marshalling yards. Red Crescent cargo (Tail 6) transferred to joint relief distribution point. PHASE V – OPERATIONAL INTEGRATION (D2–D3)​ Turkish firefighting contingent integrated under CFA operational command for fire suppression tasking. CL-215 aircraft begin water-bombing operations from designated regional airstrips upon CFA clearance. PHASE VI – Withdrawal​ Withdrawal planning to commence upon containment status confirmed by CFA. Prepared by: Col. Serhat Aksoy Air Transport Command – Turkish Air Force

END OF DOCUMENT BELGENİN SONU​

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CAMPAIGN REGISTER

Operation	Objective	Status
Operation Extended Hand – Phase I: Marshalling	Assemble firefighting personnel, vehicles, and Red Crescent relief cargo at Kayseri Erkilet Air Base; complete loadout and manifest checks	Active
Operation Extended Hand – Phase II: Leg One (Türkiye–India)	Transit to Hindon Air Force Station, India for refueling and crew rest	Active
Operation Extended Hand – Phase III: Leg Two (India–Singapore)	Transit to Australian facilities in, Singapore for refueling and crew rotation	Active
Operation Extended Hand – Phase IV: Leg Three (Singapore–Victoria)	Final transit to RAAF Base East Sale; offload personnel, equipment, and relief cargo	Active
Operation Extended Hand – Phase V: Operational	Integrate Turkish firefighting contingent and CL-215 aircraft under CFA operational command	Pending

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