Turkey will receive its first two F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. on Thursday during a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas despite facing opposition from the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
According to Pentagon spokesman Mike Andrews, Lockheed Martin will conduct a rollout ceremony on Thursday in Fort Worth and the jets will move on to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona where Turkish F-35 pilots and technicians will receive training.
Andrews declined to comment on the bill passed by the Congress to block the delivery of the jets, and said “Turkey is one of the key members of NATO and a participant of the F-35 development project.”
The Republican-controlled Senate voted 85-10 for the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDDA) for Fiscal Year 2019.
In the amendment to the bill, senators cited U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson’s imprisonment on terror charges as well as the Turkish government’s decision to purchase the S-400 air defense system from Russia.
The amendments to the bill also contains a provision to block Trump’s deal with China to allow the telecommunications giant ZTE to stay in business despite violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea. But the amendment is not guaranteed to become law. The bill will now need to be reconciled with a House version – where the amendment could be stripped out – voted through both the House and the Senate, and signed into law by Trump.
Turkey ordered 100 aircraft, 30 of which were approved. The aircraft ordered by Turkey are reported to have the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variants. STOVL aircraft can take off without needing a long runway and make vertical landings. F-16 pilots currently serving in the Turkish Air Force will be able use the planes after the completion of a six-week training program.
Apart from Turkey, the U.S., U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Norway and Denmark are also present as participant members of the program.
Turkey’s cooperation with prime contractor U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin dates back to the 1990s, when it purchased F-16 fighter jets. Turkish firms continue cooperation in the areas of system development and drills as part of the F-35 project.
Several Turkish firms are involved in producing the fighter jets as part of Turkey’s partner role in the joint program. Turkish firms participating in the F-35 project are expected to make a profit of $12 billion. For instance, Alp Aviation partook in the production of the bodywork and landing gear; Ayesaş supplied the missile remote control interface and panoramic cockpit imaging system; and Fokker Elma produced the electrical cabling and internal connection systems for the F-35s. Moreover,
Havelsan provided the training systems for the F-35 jets, while Kale Aviation produced the body structure, connections and landing gear locking systems. Defense giant ROKETSAN TÜBİTAK SAGE developed the SOM-J standoff missiles to be transported by the F-35s; Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) manufactured production materials, body coatings and provided the integration of air to ground systems; and Turkish defense firm MİKES participated in the production of various parts.
Source; Daily Sabah