The F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, which were produced for the Turkish Air Force but have been held in the US following Turkey's removal from the F-35 program, have returned to the agenda. The emergence of images of the 6 aircraft being kept in a storage area in the US has brought discussions regarding the delivery process back to the forefront.
It is stated that the sensitive systems of the aircraft are sealed, that they are undergoing special maintenance against corrosion, and that they are kept in a hangar with regular inspections. The images also show that the aircraft in question have not been delivered to the US Air Force.
Turkey had planned to procure 30 F-35A jets in the first phase and a total of 100 under the F-35 project, which it joined in 2002. Turkish defense industry firms have also been part of the program's production chain since 2003. It is known that approximately 1.4 billion dollars have been paid for the project to date, the first aircraft was delivered in 2018, and Turkish pilots conducted training flights in the US.
However, after Turkey purchased the S-400 air defense system from Russia, the US removed Ankara from the F-35 program in 2019 and suspended the delivery of the aircraft. For Washington, CAATSA sanctions and the S-400 issue are cited as the primary obstacles to the procurement process.
RUBIO: DELIVERY CANNOT BE MADE UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made assessments regarding the sale of F-35s to Turkey in a statement to the Kathimerini newspaper during his visit to Athens. Reminding that Turkey is a NATO member, Rubio said that President Donald Trump wants the sale to take place if possible.
Stating that Turkey has paid for some of the aircraft, Rubio said, "Obviously, these planes are years and years away from being delivered, but there are two (ready) that have already been paid for, but there is also a law passed by the US Congress."
The US Secretary emphasized that the National Defense Authorization Act contains strict conditions. Rubio said, "They are aware of this, I think they are looking for a solution for this. The issue is about the S-400 system. Therefore, as of now, this issue has not been resolved, and legally, we cannot carry out this delivery until this issue is resolved."
The option of transferring the S-400 systems to a third country also comes up from time to time. However, it is stated that this formula depends on Russia's approval, and that Moscow insists on the condition that the systems are not given to Ukraine and are transferred to a country with which it has "friendly" relations.
News Source: 12punto
