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World Aviation Defense & Security News - Turkey
 
 
Turkey plans to purchase four more F-35 jet fighters and five CH-47F transport helicopters
 
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has announced plans by his country to purchase four more F-35 fighter jets and an additional five helicopters from the US. “It is planned that Turkey will buy 100 F-35 warplanes in the project. We previously ordered two in this framework. We have now decided to order four more,” Davutoglu said on Wednesday following a meeting of Turkey’s Under-secretariat for Defense Industries concerning defense purchases.
     
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has announced plans by his country to purchase four more F-35 fighter jets and an additional five helicopters from the US. “It is planned that Turkey will buy 100 F-35 warplanes in the project. We previously ordered two in this framework. We have now decided to order four more,” Davutoglu said on Wednesday following a meeting of Turkey’s Under-secretariat for Defense Industries concerning defense purchases.
Boeing CH-47F Chinook Heavy Transport Helicopter
     
The Turkish premier also said five more CH-47F Chinook heavy transport helicopters will be purchased from the US, increasing the total number of CH-47F helicopters ordered so far by Turkey to 19.

Davutoglu added that the decision was in line with Turkey’s planned long-range missile system project, which seeks to replace country’s aging F-4 and F-16 fleet with the 100 F-35s.

However, the acquisition of the total order has been hampered by increasing costs.

The next-generation F-35 jet fighters, manufactured by the US Lockheed Martin Company for the US military and allies in a $399-billion project, are reportedly the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program ever.

In 2012, Turkey announced its plans to purchase 100 F-35 jet fighters from the United States at a cost of $16 billion.