U.S. Air Force to Appropriate F-35s Built For Turkey to Compensate for Production Shortfall

The U.S. Air Force has received authorisation from the Senate Armed Services Committee to appropriate six F-35A fifth generation fighter jets which were originally built to fulfil an order by the Turkish Defence Ministry. This follows moves by Washington to bar Turkey from acquiring F-35 fighters to modernise its Air Force, despite the NATO member state being not only a leading client for the fighter but also a partner in the program itself which contributed to its development and manufacturing. Since Turkey’s eviction from the program, which resulted in a dispute over its right to purchase advanced Russian arms which Western states had sought to deny it, the fate of jets previously built for service in the country’s armed forces has been uncertain. The Lockheed Martin Corporation which manufactures the F-35 is notably expected to produce less fighters in 2020 than previously anticipated, with production numbers likely to fall below those of 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to 6 additional fighters, even if they are from earlier production batches, could be a valuable asset for the U.S. Air Force to ensure it does not fall too far behind in its plans for modernisation. Turkey for its part has shown considerable interest in acquiring Russian fighter jets, and has reached an advanced stage in negotiations for the acquisition of Su-35 platforms while also showing an interest in the more advanced Su-57 and its cheaper and lighter counterpart the MiG-35. Turkey is also developing its own fifth generation fighter under the TF-X program, although progress appears to be slow and serious questions have been raised regarding its feasibility given the state of Turkey’s defence sector and its almost total lack of experience developing fighter aircraft.