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The merchantability of the 40 caller Lockheed Martin F-16 jets and ammunition for them volition outgo Turkey immoderate $7 billion. (Representational/ AP Photo)
Turkey has reduced its planned $23 cardinal acquisition of an F-16 combatant pitchy bundle from the United States, scrapping the acquisition of 79 modernisation kits for its existing fleet, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said precocious connected Tuesday.
NATO subordinate Turkey earlier this twelvemonth secured a woody to procure 40 F-16 combatant jets and 79 modernisation kits for its existing F-16s from the United States, aft a long-delayed process.
“An archetypal outgo has been made for the procurement of F-16 Block-70. A outgo of $1.4 cardinal has been made. With this, we volition bargain 40 F-16 Block-70 Viper and we were going to bargain 79 modernisation kits,” Guler told a parliamentary hearing.
“We gave up connected this 79. This is wherefore we gave up: Our Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) facilities are susceptible of carrying retired this modernisation connected their own, truthful we deferred to them,” helium said.
The merchantability of the 40 caller Lockheed Martin F-16 jets and ammunition for them volition outgo Turkey immoderate $7 billion, Guler added.
Turkey placed its bid successful October 2021, 2 years aft the United States kicked the state retired of the fifth-generation F-35 combatant pitchy programme implicit its procurement of a Russian rocket defence system.
Turkey wants to re-join the F-35 programme and bargain 40 caller F-35 jets, Guler besides said. Turkey is 1 of the largest operators of F-16s, with its fleet made up of much than 200 older Block 30, 40 and 50 models.
Ankara is besides funny successful buying Eurofighter Typhoon combatant jets, built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain. It is besides processing its ain combat aircraft, KAAN.
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