Turkey Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jura said:

this is interesting:
Turkey defiant on purchase of Russian S-400 anti-missile weapon

46 minutes ago

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Two weeks after Defense Secretary James Mattis discouraged US lawmakers from blocking the transfer of Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters to Turkey, the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee jointly released details of a compromise National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill that would do just that.

The annual authorisation bill that sets US defence policy would block the transfer of the F-3A5 unless Defense secretary Jim Mattis submits to Congress a report on the status of the US relationship with Turkey within 90 days of enactment. The report is to include an assessment of the presence of US diplomatic and military activities within the country, and an assessment of the impact of the potential purchase by Turkey of the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system.

Mattis came out against blocking the transfer of the F-35 to Turkey in a letter sent to the House Armed Services Committee Chairman on 7 July, saying that removing Turkey’s parts manufacturers from the aircraft supply chain could delay delivery of 50-75 stealth fighters for up to 18-24 months.

The NDAA bill now asks the Defense Department to study the possible removal of Turkey from the programme and come up with an alternative plan for sourcing aircraft parts in case the country is ejected from the supply chain.

In coordination with Northrop Grumman, the main fuselage manufacturer for the F-35, Turkish Aerospace Industries manufactures and assembles centre fuselages, produces composite skins and weapon bay doors, and air inlet ducts. In total, 10 different Turkish firms make parts for every F-35.

As a carrot for Ankara to abandon its interest in the Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft system – which concerns US lawmakers and officials because of its anti-stealth capabilities – the Defense Department is also required to submit names of alternative air and missile defense systems that could be purchased by Turkey from the US or NATO allies. The US Department of State is in talks to sell the Raytheon MIM-104 Patriot system to Turkey.

Specifically, the Defense Department will be instructed to assess the operational and counterintelligence risks posed by the deployment of the S-400 to the F-35. And, it is to evaluate the impact of the Russian-made system on other systems operated jointly between the USA and Turkey, including Patriot surface-to-air missile system, the Boeing CH–47, Boeing AH–64, Sikorsky H-60 and the Lockheed Martin F-16.

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Turkey, Ukraine advance An-188 co-production talks
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  4 hours ago

The An-188 aircraft is produced by Antonov, which is part of the Ukrainian aerospace holding group Ukroboronprom. (Courtesy of Antonov)

ANKARA — Turkish and Ukrainian aerospace and procurement officials made “notable progress” in negotiations for the co-production of the Antonov An-188 military cargo aircraft, an advanced version of Ukraine’s An-178, Turkish officials said.

“This is a complex program for which both sides are keen,” said one Turkish aerospace official. “We are positively discussing several aspects of an optimal modality for co-production.”

Parties involved in negotiations include Turkey’s defense procurement office, SSB in its new acronym, Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Antonov and Ukraine’s umbrella defense entity Ukroboronprom.

Turkish and Ukrainian officials have agreed that the next step of the talks will involve a visit by Turkish delegation to Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, to inspect the Antonov production line.

Antonov, maker of the An-188 and part of Ukroboronprom, showcased the short take-off and landing aircraft for the first time at the EurAsia Show 2018 aerospace exhibition in Antalya, Turkey, Apr. 25-28.



For any co-production deal to go ahead the aircraft must be brought to full compliance with NATO standards, Turkish officials said.

A TAI official said that discussions focused on what each country’s industries would take up, work share, technology transfer and know-how, licensing and exports to third countries.

The An-188-100 will be equipped with four D-436-148FM three-shaft high by-pass turbofan engines developed by the Ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress. The variant with four AI-28 new-generation engines also developed by the Ivchenko-Progress will be called the An-188-110. An-188-120 will be equipped with four LEAP high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by CFM International (CFMI).

All new aircraft of the An-188 family would be capable of basing on different airfields, including air strips, and landing on short runways of only 600-800 m in length.

The aircraft will have an advanced glass cockpit with the newest flight navigation and communication equipment. The An-188 features a flight distance of up to 7,700 km, a cruising altitude of up to 12,100 m, and a speed of up to 800 km/h depending on aircraft and engine type and variant.

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Jura said:

Jul 11, 2018
and now
Congress moves to put 90-day hold on F-35 transfers to Turkey

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  • 24 July, 2018

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After voicing previous disquiet over Turkey's acquisition of Lockheed Martin's latest stealth fighter, the US House and Senate armed services committees have made good on their threat of enacting legislation that could block future deliveries of the F-35 to Ankara.

While acknowledging concerns about Turkey's "authoritarian drift", US Secretary of Defense James Mattis backs its continued involvement in the F-35 programme, pointing to potential supply-chain disruption and increased costs should it be ejected from a planned 100-aircraft buy.

Another factor in the dispute is Ankara's planned purchase of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia, with Washington uneasy about the performance of its claimed "anti-stealth" capability and the potential for sensitive data about the Lightning II to find its way to Moscow. The solution? It should put America first and buy Patriot air-defence equipment instead.

While very favourable terms are no doubt being offered, there is no simple fix should Ankara stick to its guns and complete an S-400 procurement. As a NATO nation – and one that currently operates more than 800 US-sourced military aircraft – forcibly removing Turkey from the F-35 programme would have significant knock-on effects not just for the programme, but its relationship with the Alliance as a whole.

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose sanctions on Turkey not because of the S-400 deal, but as a result of its ongoing imprisonment of a US pastor, but the F-35 issue is clearly of greater strategic importance.

With Ankara's first aircraft not due to touch down on domestic soil until 2020, there may well be enough time to resolve this crisis. But perhaps both sides should now be preparing a "Plan B", just in case?

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