After Removal from F‑35 Program, Turkey Considers Su-35 Procurement
Posted Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 4:08pm
| On August 12, Rostec indicated that it would be prepared to sell Su-35 fighters to Turkey. This followed a report in the Turkish media on August 10 that local defense procurement authorities had called on the Turkish military to consider acquiring the aircraft. On July 17, the United States announced that it was removing Turkey from the F‑35 next generation fighter program in response to Turkey’s acquisition of the S‑400 missile defense system. The White House said, “The F‑35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities.” The Pentagon added, “We seek only to protect the long term security of the F‑35 program.” Turkey’s response to its removal from the F‑35 program will also reportedly include extending the life cycle of aircraft already in service and considering purchasing aircraft from China and Pakistan — as well as Russia. |