Pentagon Fully Supports Turkey’s F-16 Acquisition: U.S.

Turkey’s Air Force could soon have new F-16s in its fleet, with the Biden administration throwing in all support to go ahead with the sale.

“The U.S. Department of Defense fully supports Turkey's modernization plans for its F-16 fleet. These plans are in the works,” Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary for Defense for International Security Affairs at Pentagon, told reporters on a call Wednesday.

She said the U.S. “supports Turkey’s modernization of its fighter fleet because that is a contribution to NATO security and therefore American security.”

Ankara sent a formal request to acquire 40 new F-16 Block 70 jets and 80 modernization kits in September 2021. The contract is expected to touch $6 billion. Turkey hopes to eventually develop its own jets; but in the meantime, is overdue to retire its F-4 jets and wants to upgrade its F-16 fleet as a stopgap measure.

Wallander’s comments come soon after Turkish President Erdogan dropped his opposition to Swedish and Finnish bids to join NATO, bringing the alliance one step closer to bolstering its eastern front with Russia.

In May, the Biden administration asked Congress to approve a separate sale of weapons and equipment upgrades to Turkey’s fleet of F-16s which is expected to exceed $500 million. The informal reviews submitted to Congress include the proposed sale of AMRAAM missiles, Sidewinder missiles, and software and hardware updates to F-16 cockpits already in Turkey. 

Erdogan is now seeking to capitalize on a relatively positive atmosphere in relations with the alliance and the U.S. after a period of frosty ties over his government’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems. That led the Pentagon to remove Turkey from the multibillion-dollar program to buy – and help build – F-35 Lightning II combat jets. Washington argued S-400s might be used by the Russians to gather intelligence on the stealth jet.