Page 15 - ADT AUG - OCT 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

ON THE ASCENT
Defence ties between the U.S. and
Türkiye are on the upswing again
I n January this year, the United
States approved the sale of
F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye,
after months of negotiations and
just days after the Turkish par-
liament ratified Sweden’s NATO
membership.
A month later, the U.S. Defence
Department announced plans to
produce metal parts for 155 mm
shells with Turkish subcontractors
at facilities in Texas by the end
of 2025. Answering questions,
Pentagon spokesperson Jeff
Jurgensen spoke about the impor-
tance of collaborating with allies
and partners to develop a global
defence industrial base that aligns
with “national security objectives.”
In June, the two countries signed
the US$23 billion deal for 40 new
F-16 aircraft and modernization
of 79 existing F-16 aircraft to
V-Configuration. The arms deal
also includes the procurement
of other American weapons and
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY
By ARUN SIVASANKARAN
missiles, such as the AIM-120
AMRAAM and AESA radars.
Department, the F-16 fighter jets
According to the U.S. State
were “the most advanced F-16
ever made available only to clos-
est Allies and partners.”
“Just the latest example of US
enduring commitment to security
partnership with Türkiye,” the
State Department in a social media
post.
Changed Equations
Given the growing bonhomie and
the cooperation in the defence
sector between the U.S. and
Türkiye, it is easy to forget how dif- gram makes repairs, and houses
ferent things used to be, especially
after Türkiye’s 2019 acquisition of
the Russian S-400 system, and the
imposition of sanctions under the
Countering America’s Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Türkiye was a partner in the F-35
joint strike fighter program and
planned to buy 100 of the type.
In fact, its first jet was rolled out
in June 2018. But the acquisi-
tion of the S-400 system, the U.S.
removed Türkiye from the program.
The decision also meant the elim-
ination of Turkish suppliers such
as Turkish Aerospace Industries,
Roketsan and Tusas Engine
Industries from the project.
Even when it imposed the sanc-
tions, the U.S. showed keenness in
keeping the door open for Türkiye
to get back into its good books.
“Türkiye cannot field a Russian
intelligence collection platform in
proximity to where the F-35 pro-
the F-35,” Ellen Lord, who was
then Undersecretary of Defence
for Acquisition, had said. “Much
of the F-35′s strength lies in its
stealth capabilities; so, the ability
to detect those capabilities would
jeopardize the long-term security
of the F-35 program. We seek only
to protect the long-term security
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