[🇹🇷] US approves F-16 fighter jet sale to Turkey, F-35s to Greece after Turkey OKs Sweden's entry to NATO

[Beijingwalker]

US approves F-16 fighter jet sale to Turkey, F-35s to Greece after Turkey OKs Sweden's entry to NATO​

The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighters jets to Turkey following the Turkish government's ratification this week of Sweden's membership in NATO
ByMATTHEW LEE AP diplomatic writer
January 27, 2024, 9:44 AM

This image provided by the U.S. Air Force, a F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 510th Fighter Squadron tak...Show more
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey following the Turkish government’s ratification this week of Sweden’s membership in NATO. The move is a significant development in the expansion of the alliance, which has taken on additional importance since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The State Department notified Congress of its approval of the $23 billion F-16 sale to Turkey, along with a companion $8.6 billion sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Greece, late Friday. The move came just hours after Turkey deposited its “instrument of ratification” for Sweden’s accession to NATO with Washington, which is the repository for alliance documents and after several key members of Congress lifted their objections.

The sale to Turkey includes 40 new F-16s and equipment to modernize 79 of its existing F-16 fleet. The sale to Greece includes 40 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and related equipment.

NATO ally Turkey has long sought to upgrade its F-16 fleet and had made its ratification of Sweden’s membership contingent on the approval of the sale of the new planes. The Biden administration had supported the sale, but several lawmakers had expressed objections due to human rights concerns.

Those objections, including from the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, have now been overcome, officials said.

Cardin said in statement Friday that he had still had concerns about Turkey's rights record, but had agreed to the sale based on commitments Turkey has made to improve it. “I look forward to beginning this new chapter in our relationship with Turkey, expanding the NATO alliance, and working with our global allies in standing up to ongoing Russian aggression against its peaceful neighbors,” he said.

Turkey had delayed its approval of Sweden's NATO membership for more than a year, ostensibly because it believed Sweden did not take Turkey’s national security concerns seriously enough, including its fight against Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers to be security threats.

The delays had frustrated the U.S, and other NATO allies, almost all of whom had been swift to accept both Sweden and Finland into the alliance after the Nordic states dropped their longstanding military neutrality following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Sweden's formal accession to NATO now depends on Hungary, which is the last remaining NATO ally not to have approved its membership. US and NATO officials have said they expect Hungary to act quickly, especially after Turkey's decision.

US approves F-16 fighter jet sale to Turkey, F-35s to Greece after Turkey OKs Sweden's entry to NATO

The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighters jets to Turkey following the Turkish government's ratification this week of Sweden's membership in NATO

abcnews.go.com

 

[LegionnairE]

Soon the force structure will be

120 F16 Block 70

150 F16 Özgür

With block 70ies carrying mostly American weapons and Özgür with indigenous weapons.

 

[Aryobarzan]

Soon the force structure will be

120 F16 Block 70

150 F16 Özgür

With block 70ies carrying mostly American weapons and Özgür with indigenous weapons.

Will this purchase affect the KAAN development..! I heard $22 billion dollars..lots of money..!

 

[LegionnairE]

Will this purchase affect the KAAN development..! I heard $22 billion dollars..lots of money..!

I doubt it, but it could effect the Eurofighter purchase, I hope not.

On the other hand, it's politically more likely that Germany might approve the Eurofighter sale now.

 

[Saif]

I doubt it, but it could effect the Eurofighter purchase, I hope not.

On the other hand, it's politically more likely that Germany might approve the Eurofighter sale now.

Does Turkey's air force need F-16, Eurofighter, F-35, and KAAN at the same time?

 

[LegionnairE]

Does Turkey's air force need F-16, Eurofighter, F-35, and KAAN at the same time?

If we received the F35 as planned, Eurofighter would be unnecessary, extra 40 F16 airframes would be unnecessary. But now because we can't rely on the US, we have to diversify.

Even if we're back in the F35 program, I still want the Eurofighter.

As for Kaan, Kaan was designed to do the things F35 couldn't they were supposed to fly together since the beginning.

Twin engine Kaan and single engine F35 will compliment each other very well. IF we get the F35

 

[4MikeEcho]

This logic makes no sense, but strong man logic rarely does as I am sure the opinions of the Air Force were ignored:

1. Be an industrial partner for F-35 , the next gen offensive platform, where it gets its share for the thousands of orders.
2. Get booted out for the purpose of S-400 defensive weapon.
3. Then go back and go and ask for F-16s, because thats all will be sold since F-35s will not be sold , or pride too much to go and ask for F-35s.
4. Then it considers a Eurofighter to supplement: the Eurofighter thats Germany did not want more and ordered F-35s, its first US fighter purchase since the F-4F Phantom.

Why spend a decade , out of industrial production, embracing the current state of the art, deploy the S-400 in 3-4 locations, and then swallow pride to go to get F-16s while sacrificing its principles and allowing Sweden in NATO

 

[LegionnairE]

This logic makes no sense, but strong man logic rarely does as I am sure the opinions of the Air Force were ignored:

1. Be an industrial partner for F-35 , the next gen offensive platform, where it gets its share for the thousands of orders.
2. Get booted out for the purpose of S-400 defensive weapon.
3. Then go back and go and ask for F-16s, because thats all will be sold since F-35s will not be sold , or pride too much to go and ask for F-35s.
4. Then it considers a Eurofighter to supplement: the Eurofighter thats Germany did not want more and ordered F-35s, its first US fighter purchase since the F-4F Phantom.

Why spend a decade , out of industrial production, embracing the current state of the art, deploy the S-400 in 3-4 locations, and then swallow pride to go to get F-16s while sacrificing its principles and allowing Sweden in NATO

You summed it up rather well.

Turkish defense industry was to make a lot of money and gain valuable experience in the F35 program.

Likewise it would be incredibly valuable for TURAF to have hands-on experience flying a true fifth generation fighter. It would effect the Kaan development positively as well.

But most importantly, Russia continues to see Turkey as a regional rival, there has been little cooperation in Syria or elsewhere. So what was the point?

We got the S400 a bit cheaper but paid the price in so many other places, that it ended up being the most expensive air defense missile in the world.

 

[4MikeEcho]

How is it that Greece's 40 F-35s are approved for $8.6BN but Turkey has 40 aircraft for $23BN and also modernization kits for 80 aircraft.

Something off with these numbers? F-16s should cost less and modernization kits would cost even more so, but Greece could tripple its order theoretically for 120 aircraft for $33BN, and turkey is paying 2/3rd of that for mostly upgrade kits.

 

[Lulldapull]

I find it hard to believe that turkey is still entertaining the US and its nonsense shenanigans. These F-16’s ain’t worth jack shittt. Such a waste of money. Unbelievable!

 

[LegionnairE]

I find it hard to believe that turkey is still entertaining the US and its nonsense shenanigans. These F-16’s ain’t worth jack shittt. Such a waste of money. Unbelievable!

How is it that Greece's 40 F-35s are approved for $8.6BN but Turkey has 40 aircraft for $23BN and also modernization kits for 80 aircraft.

Something off with these numbers? F-16s should cost less and modernization kits would cost even more so, but Greece could tripple its order theoretically for 120 aircraft for $33BN, and turkey is paying 2/3rd of that for mostly upgrade kits.

a price to pay for the S400 blunder

 

[Saif]

a price to pay for the S400 blunder

I heard that Turkey bought S-400 because the U.S. refused to sell Turkey Patriot air defense missiles?