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New generation AMRAAM to boost Turkey’s air firepower
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey ^ | Burak Bekdil | Burak Bekdil

Posted on 09/09/2014 9:51:16 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki

The medium-range air-to-air missiles to be outfitted to Turkey’s F-16 and F-35 fighter jets will come with a price tag of $320 million

A new generation of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM) that Turkey will acquire from the United States will significantly upgrade and boost the country’s aerial firepower, according to Air Force officials.

“Perhaps the most important feature about the new weaponry is that they will be used both in our F-16 fighters and the future F-35s,” one senior official said.

A defense official said the new version features more sensitive guidance, adding to a fleet’s firepower.

This will be Turkey’s third order of the AMRAAM family of missiles. The first deliveries were made about a decade ago, while the second order is presently being delivered. A procurement official said the deliveries of the new-generation missiles could take a few years. Last month, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved a possible sale to Turkey for 145 AIM-120C-7 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and associated equipment. That sale would be worth an estimated $320 million.

Those missiles will be used on the Turkish Air Force’s fleet of F-16 fighters, although the DSCA notice adds that they could also be used on the country’s eventual F-35 fleet.

The weapons will help “maintain the TAF’s air-to-air capability to defend its extensive coastline and borders against future threat,” according to DSCA. Raytheon would produce the equipment. The State Department’s clearance for the sale is subject to congressional approval and further negotiations between Turkey and the United States.

The AMRAAM is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-and-fit factors as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget missile with active guidance.

The AIM-120C-7 development began in 1998 and included improvements in homing and greater range. It was successfully tested in 2003 and is currently being produced for both the U.S. and other militaries.

It helped the U.S. Navy replace the F-14 Tomcats with F/A-18E/F Super Hornets – the loss of the F-14’s long-range AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, already retired, is offset with a longer-range AMRAAM-D. The lighter weight of the advanced AMRAAM enables an F/A-18E/F pilot greater bring-back weight upon carrier landings.

September/10/2014


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aerospace; amraam; turkey

1 posted on 09/09/2014 9:51:16 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Mr. Obama, you’ll be sorry in the future that these sales of firepower were authorized to Turkey. Turkey is not out ally, and is a facilitator of the Muslim Brotherhood.


2 posted on 09/09/2014 10:05:31 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: sukhoi-30mki
Thirty days after the first delivery ISIS will have a few of these for their newly acquired US aircraft.

JMHO

3 posted on 09/09/2014 10:16:05 PM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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To: lee martell

Don’t be naive.

That’s *WHY* he’s selling it to them.


4 posted on 09/10/2014 12:02:13 AM PDT by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Time to vote Turkey out of NATO instead of upgrading their weapons systems.


5 posted on 09/10/2014 2:24:55 AM PDT by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: sukhoi-30mki
The lighter weight of the advanced AMRAAM enables an F/A-18E/F pilot greater bring-back weight upon carrier landings.

No it doesn't. The bring-back weight is exactly the same. What a lighter AMMRAM allows is to bring back more fuel or other ordnance.

6 posted on 09/10/2014 3:56:26 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Covenantor

If I’m not mistaken, Turkey has the largest military among NATO members (after the US). Those peacekeeping operations will be difficult without them, if you want to depend on the likes of Germany, Denmark or Norway.


7 posted on 09/10/2014 5:15:03 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: lee martell

Don’t know if he will be sorry, since Cheney has openly stated that the grand zero supports the Muslim Brotherhood. Could be that jarrett wants the playing field even.

Just how much support from Turkey for ISIS...

http://www.danielpipes.org/14486/turkey-isis


8 posted on 09/10/2014 5:16:12 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: sukhoi-30mki

All the more reason given Turkey’s current regime, the growing vitriolic Islamacist cultural changes that is destroying the secular nature of the government set up by Ataturk. We no longer need the listening tracking stations on the Turko-Russian border nor their unreliable mindset displyed in denying our troops staging and transit in the second Iraq war.

A moslem is a moslem is any enemy of western civilization period.

In which specific peace keeping operations is turkish prescence critical or even necessary? In fact, what peace keeping operation has ever been successful beyond being a momentary suspension of hostilities?

As for the European part of NATO, it’s long past time for them to re-arm and train up. The false promise of peace with the collapse of the Soviet Union is now evident to even the most willfully ignorant.

The tip off should have been the total absence of holding any of the Red Monsters to account. Not one single prosection of crimes against humanity. Zip, zero, nada, none.

Turkey has always been an enemy of the Christian west and will remain so.


9 posted on 09/10/2014 10:12:54 AM PDT by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: Covenantor

The ‘necessity’ part is usually to do with boots on the ground. Euro-nations are usually reticent on that.


10 posted on 09/10/2014 10:53:50 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: lee martell

That is why the Won didi it.


11 posted on 09/11/2014 5:29:27 AM PDT by rxtn41
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To: sukhoi-30mki
Turkey just today offers more proof that they should be denied advanced weapons and have their muslim asses kicked out of NATO

http://m.dw.de/english/mobile.A-17914542-9097.html Excerpt

.... The AFP news agency quoted a Turkish government official as saying that Ankara would not permit a possible US-led coalition to attack IS in Iraq and Syria from its air bases.

"Turkey will not be involved in any armed operation but will entirely concentrate on humanitarian operations," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.... End excerpt

Have you considered taking your blinders off?

12 posted on 09/11/2014 6:43:47 AM PDT by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: Covenantor

Mate, if you ever bothered to read my posts over the years, you’d realize that I have no blinders about Muslims. However, every US government, irrespective of party still arms several Muslim nations and values their money: my blinders don’t make a difference to that.


13 posted on 09/11/2014 6:47:49 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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