The U.S. Air Force is officially purchasing eight F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter jets that were initially intended for Turkey prior to its removal from the joint strike fighter program.
In addition to the F-35A’s built by Lockheed Martin for Turkey, the $862 million contract modification provides the aerospace manufacturer with an undetermined sum to reconfigure the jets in-line with U.S. models. The deal also includes an additional six F-35A jets for the Air Force.
The U.S. officially removed Turkey from the F-35 joint strike fighter program in July 2019 over Ankara’s decision to buy Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.
Washington was clear that the fighter jets would not be sold to Turkey if it went ahead with the S-400 purchase from Moscow, which did not deter Ankara from acquiring it.
The U.S. and partner nations maintain the S-400 system poses security risks to the advanced jet, maintaining Russia could covertly use it to obtain classified details on the jet, and warning it is incompatible with NATO systems.
Turkey, however, has countered that the S-400 would not be integrated into any NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance.
Despite Turkey’s formal expulsion, the U.S. and partner nations will continue to depend on Turkish manufacturing for key parts of F-35 fighter jets through 2022, Bloomberg reported in late June.
Although Turkey is banned from buying F-35s, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Andrews, a Defense Department spokesman, said a decision was made in late 2019 “to honor existing contractual arrangements and accept delivery of parts that were already on contract.”
Andrews emphasized that the aim is to “avoid costly, disruptive and wasteful contract terminations.”
The decision was heavily hinted at in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report in May, which said Turkey’s ouster from the F-35 program will likely compound its already beleaguered manufacturing process.