Turkiye’s strong desire to buy F-16 from US persists, defying previous statements
Despite previous claims from Turkish public figures, Ankara remains committed to purchasing the latest F-16 fighter jets from the US.
On 29 May, US President Joe Biden said his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who just secured another term in the recent election – expressed his intentions about the Lockheed Martin-manufactured aircraft.
Biden, in turn, wants Turkiye to drop its objection to Sweden’s NATO membership.
"He [Erdogan] still wants to work on something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted a deal with Sweden, so let's get that done. And so we'll be back in touch with one another,'
Access this article and other Decisive Edge Newsletter news content with a free basic account
You will also get one free Premium News article each week
Already have an account? Log in
More from Decisive Edge Newsletter
-
What is happening with the Greek corvette competition?
The Hellenic Navy has been in the process of replacing its nine remaining Elli-class (Kortaener/S-type) frigates with two new acquisition programmes for frigates and corvettes. The US offer of second-hand US Navy (USN) Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) as potential corvette replacement, however, has given the Greek government pause for thought.
-
AUKUS members seek solutions to integrate their ground capabilities
The three countries plan to explore technologies to strengthen their collaboration in various land-related areas including artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, EW, hypersonic, quantum computing and logistics.
-
Netherlands selects Barracuda submarine as Australia looks on
With the Netherlands selecting the Barracuda design for its new Orka-class submarines, it will give Australia a chance to see what it could have had after it cancelled its conventional submarine (SSK) project based on Barracuda, opting instead for a nuclear-powered submarine (SSN).
-
US Air Force to cut $2 billion of investments in aircraft in FY2025
The reduction will impact several procurements and improvement programmes involving airlift, combat, tactical and strategic aircraft, as well as helicopters.
-
RAF fighter pilot training situation is “unacceptable” for UK taxpayer, says industry official
While the head of the Royal Air Force admits the ongoing issues with the service's ability to train its fighter pilots, no concrete plans were put in place to resolve the problem. What steps could the RAF take to ensure the readiness of its pilot force for future challenges?