Turkish F-35 Deal Stalled

March 29, 2011

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Negotiations between the United States and Turkey over Turkish plans to procure some 100 F-35 strike fighters have stalled because the United States refuses to share the source code for the aircraft’s software, reports UPI. Possessing the source code would make it possible for Turkish engineers to make changes to the aircraft’s software to enable country-specific aircraft modifications. Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul reportedly told a Turkish newspaper earlier this month that the talks to date had not yielded “satisfactory results” to enable the $16 billion deal to proceed, according to UPI. Earlier this year, Gonul said Turkey might up its F-35 buy to 116.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

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