Intel: US boots Turkey from F-35 program after Russian arms deal

The Donald Trump administration said today it would formally kick Turkey out of the F-35 program after Ankara took delivery of a Russian air defense system that could threaten the American fighter’s stealth capabilities.

In a White House statement sent five days after Turkey began taking deliveries of the Moscow-made S-400, press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the F-35 “cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities.”

Pentagon officials had long said the Russian system, which is not compatible with NATO counterparts, could train its powerful radar on any F-35 jet operated by Turkey to uncover its stealth protections.

Why it matters: While the Defense Department insisted that Turkey acceptance of the Russian system would have no impact on US military ties and did not clarify whether the deal would call into question future military sales, Pentagon undersecretary Ellen Lord said the move was “ inconsistent with its commitments to NATO.”