US tempts Turkey with new F-16s in exchange for more support in Ukraine
There is no indication that Turkey will return to the US F-35 programme, but it could acquire new F-16s in the more modern Block 70 variant in addition to modernising Ankara's existing fleet.
Turkey's recent role in the Ukrainian scenario is reportedly whitening the US congressmen's image of the Erdogan government, according to statements reported by the specialised media outlets Defense News and Al-Arab.
The statements made by members of the congressional foreign affairs committees suggest that new sales to Turkey could be given the green light.
The offer the sources are talking about would be for a batch of 40 F-16s in its Block 70 upgrade, and a modernisation package for 80 other Turkish Air Force fighters, for a total of $6 billion. The F-16 is the backbone of the Turkish fighter force. The constant modernisation and innovation that has been developed for this 1980s-vintage aircraft make the F-16 a valuable asset, and above all a very good value for money. Turkey has around 250 F-16s, and upgrading them could be far more cost-effective than acquiring new fighter aircraft.
US congressmen expect Turkey to continue to play a few cards in the West's favour in the Ukraine crisis. While Ankara has maintained a sufficiently neutral position to host Russian and Ukrainian delegations in negotiations, the balance is tipping more to the West. Turkey is first and foremost a NATO member, although its relationship with Russia has repeatedly raised alarm bells.
In 2017, Ankara angered the US congressional military export committee by purchasing the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. The purchase of the Russian system pushed Turkey out of the option to buy the state-of-the-art F-35 they had hoped to acquire.
According to the specialised portal Defense News, an inventory in which an F-35 multirole fighter shares space with the S-400 system would seriously jeopardise the Lockeed Martin fighter's stealth technology because of the S-400's powerful radar, which would gather enough information to create an in-flight identification profile of an aircraft that bases much of its success on stealth over radar.
According to the technical explanations offered by Kyle Rempfer for Defense News, after interviewing former senator and budget committee member Rick Berger, the danger is not a lack of confidence on the part of the NATO-member Turkish Armed Forces, but rather the threat of malware in the Russian S-400 system or Russian espionage.
These reasons are similar to those given by the US Congress when it expressed its reluctance to offer the F-35 to the United Arab Emirates, which has signed technology partnership agreements with the Asian giant Huawei to serve the Gulf country. This collaboration could, according to the US, jeopardise classified information about the technology behind the F-35's success.
Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra
