The Turkish leadership may turn to Russian defense technologies if Washington finally excludes Ankara from the international program to create a fifth-generation F-35 fighter. About this with reference to the unnamed representatives of the Turkish Ministry of Defense reported the publication Defense News.
As the military official explained, Ankara cannot afford to remain without a new fighter, and Russian technologies would be the “first and best choice” if the United States blocks Turkey’s participation in a joint defense program. Also, the option of cooperation with Moscow is suitable for Ankara from geostrategic considerations, the official added.
Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said that Turkey would find an alternative supplier if the United States terminated the F-35 deal.
“There is an F-35, but there are also Russian-made airplanes. If we are not able to buy an F-35, Turkey will buy similar aircraft from other countries. And this will continue until we start producing our own fifth-generation cars, ”the Turkish minister said on April 10 on the local TV channel.
Cavusoglu also touched upon the supply of S-400, noting that some NATO countries have S-300 systems in service, but this does not cause complaints in the North Atlantic alliance. Today, Ankara does not exclude the possibility that a new deal on S-400 may be concluded with Moscow, the minister added.
- Mevlut Cavusoglu.
- Reuters
- © Murad Sezer
“Depend on the political agenda”
The reason for the disagreements between Ankara and Washington was the decision of the Turkish side to buy from Russia anti-aircraft missile systems S-400. For the first time, the negotiations of Russia and Turkey on this topic became known in November 2016. In 2017, the parties signed an agreement on the supply of the air defense system to the Republic of Turkey.
This move provoked a sharp protest from Washington, which threatened Turkey with sanctions and cancellation of agreements on the supply of F-35 aircraft. US officials claim Russian S-400s are incompatible with NATO standards.
In the Turkish Ministry of Defense, these suspicions were repeatedly refuted: as stated by the head of the department, Hulusi Akar, Turkey does not intend to integrate the S-400 air defense system into the alliance systems.
On April 1, Reuters reported, citing sources, that the United States is stopping supplies of equipment under the F-35 program to Turkey. Soon, the Acting Press Secretary of the Pentagon, Charles Summers, said that Turkey’s participation in the creation of fifth-generation NATO fighter jets would be suspended until Ankara refused to supply Russian air defense systems.
“If Turkey acquires the S-400, the continuation of its participation in the F-35 program will be under threat,” RIA Novosti quotes him.
As Grigori Lukyanov, a teacher at the Higher School of Economics, noted in an interview with RT, if the United States and Turkey do not come to a consensus on the supply of C-400, this could adversely affect all countries' military-technical cooperation.
“The United States has a wide range of military cooperation programs with Turkey, which depend on the political agenda of bilateral relations and on changes in Ankara’s foreign policy. If the Turkish leadership does not meet the United States in their political demands, not only the F-35 program will slow down - any cooperation with Turkey in the field of armaments may cease, ”the expert explained.
- SAM S-400.
- © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
A similar forecast in an interview with RT presented a military expert Alexei Leonkov. In his opinion, the United States is concerned about the possible expansion of the scale of Russian-Turkish cooperation.
“All countries that will support military cooperation with Russia will be under US sanctions. Americans do not want to lose their dominance in the arms market, which emerged after 1991, ”the expert explained.
In addition, according to Leonkov, US officials fear that Turkey will set an example for other countries in the region, which are now oriented toward American arms supplies.
“This situation can become a precedent for those countries that depend on the supply of American weapons and equipment,” the expert believes.
Recall that Ankara initially planned to acquire about a hundred fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter-bomber, which are produced under the cooperation program of several NATO countries under the auspices of the United States. Turkey joined the program in 2002, its enterprises produce some parts for the aircraft.
In addition, under the terms of the agreement, the Turkish side should be engaged in the maintenance and installation of F-35 engines. Therefore, the exclusion of Ankara from this program may result in additional costs. As US Vice-Admiral Matthias Winter, who oversees the creation of the F-35, said earlier, Turkey’s withdrawal from cooperation would slow down the production of 75 aircraft, as this country supplies about 6-7% of the fighter units.
In June last year, the Turkish Air Force received two Lightning II fighters, but further deliveries ceased. American experts had previously assumed that even if Turkey received planes, the United States could easily block the operation of these machines simply by limiting the supply of spare parts.
Since 2013, the Turkish aerospace company Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has been developing its own fifth-generation fighter TF-X. His first test flight is scheduled for 2026. Within the framework of this project, Turkey is counting on cooperation with foreign partners - earlier the Ministry of Defense of the Republic signed an agreement with the Swedish company Saab.
According to Grigory Lukyanov, the creation of a fifth generation fighter of his own is an ambitious plan, but it can be realized only with the use of foreign technologies.
“Own technological and industrial capacities necessary for the development and launch of mass production of expensive machines of this kind are not in Turkey today,” the expert stressed.
Ankara seeks to involve many states in the work - as Turkish officials explained earlier, first of all, this is done for security reasons in order to eliminate dependence on any one partner.
"Meet the criticism from the United States"
As for the idea of entering into cooperation with Russian defense enterprises and purchasing fifth-generation fighters of the Su-57, experts say that it will cause no less irritation to Washington than the purchase of S-400 air defense missile system by Turkey.
“The localization of production in Turkey will be criticized by the United States and possible sanctions of attempts to influence Ankara’s policy. The US will call this cooperation unacceptable and will say that cooperation with Russia could undermine the effectiveness of NATO’s collective security system in the region, ”said Grigory Lukyanov.
Earlier, the head of the State Department, Michael Pompeo, threatened Egypt with sanctions if the African state signs a contract with Moscow for the purchase of Su-35 military aircraft.
“We clearly said (to the Egyptian authorities. - RT ) that such purchases entail the application of sanctions in accordance with CAATSA law against the authorities. We received assurances from them that they understood this. I hope they decide not to make this purchase, ”Rom Novosti quotes Pompeo.
- Stand Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) at the exhibition Defense Services Asia (DSA) 2018.
- globallookpress.com
- © Chris Jung / ZUMAPRESS.com
Recall that in 2017, the US authorities passed the Law on Opposing Americans through Sanctions (CAATSA), according to which the US may impose restrictive measures against countries that cooperate with such countries as Iran, Russia and the DPRK. Cooperation in the military-technical field is also subject to restrictions. Washington made an exception for India, Indonesia and Vietnam, but Turkey has not received such relief. So far, the only real move by Washington against Ankara has been the freezing of supplies of components for the F-35.
Assumptions that Ankara might turn to buying a Su-57 were heard in the Turkish press back in May last year: then the Yeni Safak publication, citing sources, said that the authorities were seriously considering this option.
It should also be noted that Moscow and Ankara may in the future establish technical cooperation in different directions. As Russian President Vladimir Putin noted after the recent talks with his Turkish counterpart, the parties can "go for joint development and joint production of high-tech military equipment." This, in particular, may involve the production in Turkey of individual components for the S-400 air defense missile systems.
Experts believe that Turkey will “borrow” Russian technologies in this case. As Grigory Lukyanov explained, during the signing of agreements, all possibilities and limitations of the parties are negotiated, which are respected by the parties to the treaties.
A similar point of view is shared by the military expert Alexei Leonkov. In an interview with RT, he recalled that similar concerns had once been voiced about the partnership with India, but they were not justified.
“Military-technical cooperation continues to this day,” explained the expert. - India tried to establish its own production, but the manufactured aircraft were identified technical shortcomings, which are still eliminated. Therefore, India receives ready-made Su-30 airplanes from Russia. ”
According to its technological potential, the Turkish defense industry may well participate in the Russian fighter creation program, Leonkov said.
“Ankara is not a newcomer to the aviation industry, it creates some components at a high level,” the expert explained.
For Moscow, such cooperation would be beneficial, because it implies a long-term contract for the maintenance and development of military systems with the participation of Russian companies and manufacturers. Cooperation in the military-industrial complex also provides geopolitical advantages, experts say.
“Russia is interested in creating in the region an autonomous air defense shield from the United States, based on the Russian S-300 and S-400 complexes, as well as aviation. Such a shield will make the region politically independent of the fluctuations of American foreign policy, ”summed up Grigory Lukyanov.