WASHINGTON: The United States said on Wednesday that it was removing Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, a move that had been long threatened and expected after Ankara began accepting delivery of an advanced Russian missile defense system last week.
The first parts of the S-400 air defense system were flown to the Murted military air base northwest of Ankara on Friday, sealing Turkey’s deal with Russia, which Washington had struggled for months to prevent.
“The US and other F-35 partners are aligned in this decision to suspend Turkey from the program and initiate the process to formally remove Turkey from the program,” said Ellen Lord, the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
“The United States is spending between $500 and $600 million in non-recurring engineering in order to shift the supply chain,” she said.
Used by NATO and other US allies, the F-35 stealth fighter jet is the world’s most advanced jet fighter. Washington is concerned that deploying the S-400 with the F-35 would allow Russia to gain too much inside information of the stealth system.
“The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities,” the White House said in a statement earlier on Wednesday.
Washington has long said the acquisition may lead to Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 program.
The Pentagon had already laid out a plan to remove Turkey from the program, including halting any new training for Turkish pilots on the advanced aircraft.
“The situation with Turkey is a government-to-government matter and we’ll comply with any guidance issued by the United States Government,” said a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin Corp. , the prime contractor on the jet.
Turkey blocked from US F-35 program after Russian missile purchase
Turkey blocked from US F-35 program after Russian missile purchase
- “The US and other F-35 partners are aligned in this decision to suspend Turkey from the program"
4 Syrian security personnel killed in attack in Raqqa
- Internal Security Forces reports that 1 of the attackers has been neutralized
- Second violent attack in northeast region within 48 hours
LONDON: Syrian authorities have reported that four security personnel died and two were injured during an attack on a government checkpoint in the city of Raqqa — located in the northeast of the country — on Monday.
The Internal Security Forces said that one of the attackers had been neutralized, and that security units were currently conducting a thorough sweep of the surrounding area to identify and eliminate the remaining members of the cell responsible for the attack, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
It marks the second violent attack in the region within 48 hours targeting the Internal Security Forces. The same checkpoint was attacked on Sunday, resulting in another operative being neutralized, as reported by SANA.
Raqqa was under Daesh control from 2014 to 2017. It was regarded as the group’s capital.
Government forces of the Syrian Arab Republic regained control of the region in January following a ceasefire and integration agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
