Posted on 10/31/2006 2:37:08 PM PST by knighthawk
ANKARA - Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul has signalled Turkey's intention to buy 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in a multi-billion dollar procurement project, Turkish newspapers reported Tuesday.
Gonul told Turkish reporters during an official visit to the United States that Turkey and eight other countries involved in the F-35 project would sign a memorandum of understanding by the end of November.
"Nine countries, including us, will sign it," newspapers quoted Gonul as saying.
The minister was speaking after talks with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy Gordon England on topics ranging from combating terrorism to the Turkish military's procurement projects.
The Turkish media reported before Gonul's trip that the Turkish Air Force had chosen the F-35 in a project to buy 100 new generation combat aircraft to replace the F-16, F-4 and F-5 aircraft currently used.
Gonul said the project would span the next 30 to 40 years and be worth an estimated 11 to 12 billion dollars (8.6 to 9.4 billion euros).
He said the first plane would be delivered to Turkey in 2014.
The F-35 is being designed and built by a team led by US the firm Lockheed-Martin and is funded by a consortium of nine countries: the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark.
The first F-35s are expected to become operational in 2012.
Gonul is scheduled to visit the Lockheed-Martin production facilities in Forth Worth, Texas, on Tuesday before returning home at the end of the week.
The other option in the Turkish procurement project was the Eurofighter Typhoon, built by a consortium of British, German, Italian and Spanish aerospace manufacturers.
Ping
I don't like this.
Turkey's not any sort of an oil power... they financing this with opium sales or what exactly??
I agree with you. Turkey has not been a sterling ally.
This is good also, because the turks can use them for close air support when their albanian brothers, declare an independent Kosovo, not to mention the joy of dropping bombs on the Greeks.
I think Lockheed Martin ought to consider deep discounts when they figure up the price of these fighter jets.
Great picture. An interesting tidbit: Those two vertical tail stabilizers you see on the F-22 are almost exactly the size of the wing of the F-16. Also, which version of the F-16 is that? The F-16EF has extended range and greater fuel capacity.
Since they can be remotely controlled, sell them to the Turkeys.
Here is a video of the US and UK testing the F-35 variants.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4742849525846050256&q=F-22+videos&hl=en
Are you worried when Iraq is split into three countries, that Turkey will use these planes in the takeover of the Kurds?
They won't wait to attack the Kurds. They've been doing it for years. This will just give them greater capability.
Turkey needs to keep some military capability, mainly because their neighbors in Persia have had an attitude for several thousand years.
I hope we include a hidden remote controlled "self destruct" device.
Nothing against the Turks -- one should always treat folks in a polite and professional manner - but have a plan to kill everyone you meet if necessary.
Semper Fi
Well, since they don't go operational until 2012, there is plenty of time to administer various "tests" to the Turks.
And the penalty for opium distribution in Turkey is death.
please research.
Research what? An ancient thread?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.