Turkey's S-400 procurement is a game-changer, and the US isn't too happy about the parity it brings. Here's what it means for Turkey, and the region
The United States’ removal of Turkey from the F-35 joint fighter programme comes at considerable cost to the NATO alliance, overlooking the fact that Turkey has spent millions on developing a $1.5 trillion stealth fighter that was only possible through joint investment in the first place.
Let's be objective though. Washington’s rejection of the S-400, and its consequent suspension of Turkey from the F-35 programme was never about ‘security’. Those are dicey odds at best, and given Turkey’s geopolitical neighbourhood, procuring a defensive missile system that only works one time in four is something arguably hard to justify to the Turkish electorate.They haven’t. Saudi Arabia learned that first-hand trying to shoot down antiquated scud missiles fired by Yemeni rebels. The very same missiles the Patriot missile system failed to shoot down in the 1991 Operation Desert Storm.
Relying on the US for this would be folly given how many times American unilateralism has diverged from Turkey’s interests, as with its arming the YPG and the groups that gave rise to Daesh. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to eliminate external dependency on foreign defence technology by 2023. In line with this, the Turkish S-400 deal includes a technology transfer clause. It’s not inconceivable to see Turkey joint-produce the S-500, an even more advanced platform with Russia in the future.
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