Turkey: Do the Turks have a problem with the Turkish F-16 spare parts? What the President of the Turkish Defense Industry, Ismail Demir, said.
The president of the Turkish Defense Industry spoke about Turkey’s national fighter, which he said will be ready in 2030.
Eight years without a new generation fighter, the Turks, but this was something we… knew.
We also knew that initially the Turks wanted to put F-35 B (with the possibility of vertical take-off) on their mini aircraft carrier Anadolu, but the expulsion from the F-35 program forced them to settle for… helicopters, (p.s. after for the Bayraktars a special catapult is needed which they cannot manufacture at the moment).
What we imagine but the Turks had not officially admitted is that the aging Turkish F-16 fleet has problems even in operation.
What did Ismail Demir actually say? What Turkey should not look to cover its exit from the F-35 program with the F-16 as it would have “losses related to parts production”.
It is the first time that Turkey admits the lack of spare parts for the Turkish F-16s.
In fact, Ismail Demir emphasized that the F-35 should not be connected to the F-16 as the Turks have “damages in this process”.
What did Ismail Demir say? That the connection of the F-35s with the F-16s creates a problem in the chain of Turkish fighters and spare parts (with the problem getting bigger as time goes by).
