TURKEY MULLS 20 MORE F-35 FIGHTERS

press tv
Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:00:18 GMT

Turkey is mulling over paying an extra USD 2 billion to purchase
twenty more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) to raise its order
quantity for the aircraft to 120.

"We may buy 120 JSF aircraft, instead of 100," head of the
Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, Murad Bayar, was quoted as
saying by Hurriyet newspaper.

Turkey’s potential decision to buy 120 F-35s would increase the
cost of Ankara’s program from USD 11 billion to at least USD 13
billion. The country’s eventual decision on the number of fighters
to be acquired will depend on the amount of finance available in the
forthcoming years.

The fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a
single-seat, single-engine and multi-role fighter. The aircraft can
conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions.

The F-35 Lightning II is manufactured in three variants; conventional
takeoff and landing (CTOL), carrier variant (CV) as well as a short
takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL).

In addition to Turkey, the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Italy are
among the countries that have ordered the F-35.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress