Turkey will receive its first two F-35 joint strike fighters Thursday in a ceremony in Texas, amid attempts to pause the transfer of the stealthy jets by members of Congress who question whether Ankara remains a reliable ally.
Members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees are angry that Turkey, a key member of NATO, is buying the S-400 air defense system from Russia, and is also refusing to release American pastor Andrew Brunson from prison.
Both the House and Senate versions of the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act contain language that would delay sales of the F-35 to Turkey, and potentially limit its role as a developmental partner in the program.
The House version would prohibit the delivery of “major defense equipment” to Turkey pending the submission of a report on the state of U.S.-Turkish relations by the departments of State and Defense.
The Senate language directs the Pentagon to submit a plan to Congress to remove Turkey from participation in the F-35 program.
But the Pentagon says because the NDAA is not yet law, it will have no effect on the rollout ceremony. Lockheed Martin says the ceremony is a tradition to recognize every U.S. and international customers’ first aircraft.
“The Department of Defense does not comment on proposed legislation,” said Lt. Col. Mike Andrews, a Pentagon spokesman. “Turkey is a close, key NATO ally, and has been an international participant with the F-35 program since 2002.”
The two F-35s will be officially handed over to Turkey in a ceremony Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, and then head to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., where Turkish pilots will begin to train on then, the Lockheed Martin statement said.
But the ceremonial transfer doesn’t actually confer ownership to Turkey, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorized to speak publicly because of the sensitive nature of U.S.-Turkish relations. Those relations are strained on a number of fronts, including the U.S. support for Kurdish fighters in Syria that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has labeled terrorists.
“After aircraft production, the U.S. government maintains custody of the aircraft until custody is transferred to the partner,” said the official. “This normally occurs after the lengthy process of foreign partner training is complete,” which typically takes up to two years.
That gives Congress time to act, assuming the provisions remain in the final bill and President Trump signs it.
Kicking Turkey out the F-35 program would cause “major complications,” and require a restructuring of the program at substantial cost, says Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute, who serves as a consultant to Lockheed Martin.
Due to the structure of the multinational program, Turkey is more than a customer, although it does plan to purchase up to 100 aircraft. Turkey’s Alp Aviation manufactures F-35 production airframe structure and assemblies, production landing gear components and more than 100 parts for the Pratt & Whitney F135 engines.
Turkish Aerospace Industries, in conjunction with Northrop Grumman, supplies production hardware that goes into every F-35 production aircraft, including center fuselages, produces composite skins and weapon bay doors, and manufactures fiber placement composite air inlet ducts.
A Turkish company is the sole-source supplier for two major F-35 components — the missile remote interface unit and the panoramic cockpit display. Another Turkish firm manufactures 40 percent of the F-35’s Electrical Wiring & Interconnection System).
Not only are Turkish companies involved in manufacturing components for the F-35, it is also the set to be a partner in deploying a nuclear-capable version of the jet as part of the NATO deterrent force.
The U.S. does not confirm the location of nuclear weapons, but it is widely believed that some NATO B-61 nuclear gravity bombs are in place at Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base.
“Turkey is so thoroughly integrated into NATO plans for operating and supporting the F-35 fighter that its exclusion would create problems rippling across the alliance,” Thompson said.
