New chapter in F-16 negotiations: Turkey returns to the table

Turkey is preparing to launch a new negotiation process to resolve an ongoing price dispute with U.S.-based defense company Lockheed Martin regarding the cost of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets. Sources close to the matter reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan brought the issue of costs related to the F-16 purchase directly to the agenda during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in September.

CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL AND PRICE DISPUTE

The U.S. Congress approved Turkey's purchase of 40 F-16 Viper fighter jets in February 2024. However, an agreement could not be reached between Ankara and Lockheed Martin regarding additional payments requested for the modernization of the aircraft's mission computers and the expansion of production lines. It is stated that Turkey opposes the inclusion of these additional costs in the budget.

TURKEY'S DEMAND FOR TECHNOLOGY ACCESS

As the country with the largest F-16 fleet outside the U.S., Turkey is requesting access to the source codes of the mission computers to integrate domestic missile and radar systems into the new aircraft. This demand is considered part of Ankara's goal to reduce foreign dependency in the defense industry.

In a statement made by Lockheed Martin, it was noted that F-16 aircraft "have affordable operating and life-cycle costs." The company stated that questions regarding price and technical details should be answered by the U.S. and Turkish governments.

F-35 OPTION ON THE TABLE

Turkey plans to re-acquire 40 F-35 fighter jets if the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Congress due to the Russian-made S-400 air defense system are lifted. It was reported that this possibility was raised during the recent meeting between President Erdoğan and President Trump, but no concrete progress was made.

While delays continue in the engine supply process for Turkey's domestic fighter jet project, Kaan, Greece's completion of its purchase of Rafale jets from France and F-35 jets from the U.S. has accelerated Ankara's search for alternatives.

In this context, Turkey signed an agreement with the United Kingdom last month to purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. Additionally, negotiations are underway to purchase 12 second-hand Typhoon jets from Qatar and 12 from Oman. These agreements are planned to be finalized within 2025, with the aircraft scheduled for delivery to Turkey in the first quarter of 2026.

The delivery process for the new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets is projected to begin around 2030.

News Source: 12punto