Pentagon holds out hope of salvaging military sales to Turkey
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said today that he expects the Pentagon to deliver the Patriot air defense system to Turkey even as Ankara eyes a fall installation date for the Russian S-400.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said today that he expects to be able to salvage US military sales to Turkey that have been jeopardized by Ankara’s insistence on buying a Russian missile defense system.
The Pentagon announced Monday that it had suspended the delivery of parts for Turkey's F-35 jet program amid concerns that the Russians could use their S-400 to spy on the aircraft. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Shanahan said he retained confidence that Turkey will ditch the Russian system and instead use the US Patriot air defense system, lifting any misgivings about transferring the F-35 to Turkey.
“I am very confident in the Patriot proposal that we've delivered to Turkey, its availability, its pricing, and very importantly, the industrial participation that comes along with the Patriot system,” Shanahan said. “I expect we'll solve the problem so that they have the right defense equipment in terms of Patriots and F-35s.”
The Pentagon also said today that it was looking for secondary sources for Turkish-produced parts for the F-35. Pentagon spokesman Charles Summers called the moves “prudent steps to protect the shared investments made in our critical technology.”
