Posted on 10/10/2004 12:44:20 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
US, Germany eye arms sale to Turkey
ANKARA - TDN with wire dispatches The U.S. administration is proposing to sell 225 AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and related gear to Turkey in a deal valued at up to $96 million, the Pentagon told Congress on Thursday.
The sale of the Raytheon Co.-built missiles would boost Turkey's ability to contribute to NATO operations and the war on terror without affecting the basic regional military balance or U.S. efforts to encourage a negotiated settlement on the divided island of Cyprus, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a mandatory notice to lawmakers, according to Reuters news agency.
The Sidewinder, a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile, would be part of a planned upgrade of Turkey's F-16 fighter jet fleet, the notice added. The deal would be worth $96 million if all options were exercised.
Meanwhile, German defense minister said his country should resume arms sales to Turkey as a result of the European Union beginning accession talks with Ankara.
Turkey, which on Wednesday won a green light from the European Commission to open negotiations to join the 25-nation bloc, has long been reported to be interested in acquiring more than 200 of Germany's surplus Leopard 2 battle tanks.
German Defense Minister Peter Struck said there was still no official request from Turkey for the tanks but added that nothing should now stand in the way of a deal.
"I do think that the fact the EU is now heading toward membership talks will and should lead to a change in opinion among those who have up to now opposed the sale of Leopard 2 tanks to Turkey," Struck told a news conference after talks with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Berlin.
Germany's Greens, the junior partner to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats in the ruling coalition, have long opposed arms sales to Turkey due to doubts about its commitment to human rights.
However, some leading Greens, including Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, have signalled a softening in their position.
In an interview with newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, Angelika Beer, a former Greens leader and defense expert now serving as a member of the European Parliament, said Turkey should now be able to purchase weapons from Germany.
"With the start of accession talks the restrictions on weapons sales in place until now will be lifted," the paper quoted Beer as saying.
The EU executive said Turkey had made substantial progress in political reforms but must improve implementation. It said talks could be suspended if Ankara backtracks on democracy and human rights. EU leaders are due to consider the commission's proposal in December.
Germany wants to trim its heavy armour to make its forces more mobile. It plans to mothball or sell about 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks and has already sold some to Poland and Finland.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Oct. 7 notified the U.S. Congress of a possible sale to Turkey of an F-16 modernization package under Washington’s Foreign Military Sales program, the DSCA said in a written statement.
The package — including modification of 104 F-16 Block 40 aircraft, 76 F-16 Block 50s and 38 F-16 Block 30s, as well as associated equipment and services — would be worth $3.9 billion if all options are exercised, according to the agency. Included would be integration of the Modular Mission Computer, self-protection electronic warfare suite, export versions of weapons available for the F-16, plus five additional foreign weapon systems.
“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the military capabilities of Turkey and further weapon system standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces,” the DSCA said.
The principal contractors will be BAE Advanced Systems, Greenlawn, N.Y.; St. Louis-based Boeing Integrated Defense Systems; Harris Government Communications Systems Division, Melbourne, Fla.; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas; Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas; Northrop Grumman Electro-Optical Systems, Garland, Texas; Grumman Electronic Systems, Baltimore; and Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=418017&C=airwar
Forget Turkey.
Didn't they deny us basing priviledges before we invaded Iraq?
Turkey would not let us move troops through their country so why should we sell them anything?
The Turks seem to have been splurging a lot of weaponry in the past 5-6 years.Though their relations with Israel have taken a dip after the Iraq invasion(which lead to increased Islamic setiment in Turkey).The Israelis upgraded Turkey's F-4s with the ability to fire BVRAAMs & also the Popeye Turbo cruise missile.
I presume you should direct that question towards GWB & his boys-no use asking me!!!!!!But my guess would be that if the US didn't sell ,the French(with their Mirage-2005),Swedes(with their JAS-39 Gripens) & even Russia(with SU-30s equipped with Israeli avionics) would jump in.So why not make money,even if you don't trust them??Besides the US plans to sell more arms to Pakistan,Saudi Arabia & Egypt,whom i see as infinitely more hostile to the US than Turkey.Atleast most Turks have a more diluted version of Islam,when compared to their Arab/Paki bros.
One of the last things I recall was an officer who did something wrong. He spent the entire day standing at attention in front of a large poster of Ataturk. This was at the base of Ataturk Chad in the heart of Ankara. Everyone who drove a vehicle would have seen him.
I think Turkey doesn't need more F-16s from the US.It was one of the few nations to license build F-16s(along with South Korea,Belgium etc).
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