Turkey continues to hope that the Biden administration will reinstate its participation in the F-35 fighter jet acquisition program, from which it was removed because of purchasing Russian S-400 Triumph missile defense systems. As reported by Forbes, Israel is discreetly attempting to thwart this possibility.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, allegedly urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to oppose the possible acquisition of advanced stealth aircraft by Turkey. This deal might jeopardize Israel’s standing in an area growing more volatile, particularly because of shifts occurring within Syria.
Turkey is still fighting to acquire F-35s
After acquiring the S-400 Triumph air defense systems from Russia in 2019, Turkey was removed from the Joint Strike Fighter program. Despite numerous appeals from U.S. officials for Turkey to relinquish these systems, they consistently declined. As a consequence, this led to further complications including sanctions imposed on Turkey’s defense sector by the United States.
At first, Ankara aimed to obtain 100 F-35 fighters. However, those plans have been scrapped. By the close of 2024, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler stated that Turkey remains hopeful about acquiring F-35s, though they now aspire for only 40 units. Moreover, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan indicated that should the embargo be removed, Ankara could opt to buy additional US military hardware valued at around $20 billion.
Turkey consistently updates its aviation sector.
The F-35 is a single-seater, fifth-generation combat aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin. With an overall length of approximately 52 feet and a wingspan of around 14 feet, this advanced plane boasts significant size alongside its technological prowess. One of its standout characteristics is its stealth capabilities, which make it less visible to radar detection systems. Additionally, the F-35 has the capacity for various armaments, even extending to include nuclear weaponry.
Read also:
Russian bombardment of Kherson: Lethal attack ignites turmoil
During Sweden’s admission to NATO, Turkish authorities managed to negotiate the purchase of 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernization kits for its existing aircraft of this type; however, they abandoned the latter option, focusing on solutions from the domestic industry. Currently, Turkey has about 250 F-16 fighter jets. It is also intensively developing its own fifth-generation fighter jet project named KAAN and does not exclude acquiring Eurofighter Typhoon jets armed with Meteor missiles.
Read also:
Turkey asserts that the Kaan aircraft outperforms the F-35, yet skepticism persists.
Britain decides against sending jet fighters to Ukraine
Turkey shifts defense approach: Scraps F-16 upgrade plans, looks towards F-35s
