As NATO ministers gather in Washington, US rift with Turkey widens
by Jamie McIntyre
April 02, 2019 07:19 AM MAKING GOOD ON A THREAT: The Pentagon announced late yesterday it is suspending all “deliveries and activities†associated with Turkey's acquisition of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters unless and until the NATO ally reverses its decision to buy an advanced Russian air defense system that the United States says would compromise the F-35’s advanced stealth features.
U.S. officials have been warning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for more than a year that purchasing S-400 anti-aircraft missiles would force the United States to end Turkey’s participation in the program.
Officials say the S-400s are not only incompatible with NATO systems, but operating the F-35 alongside an advanced Russian system designed to shoot it down would be tantamount to handing over classified F-35 flight profile information to the Russians.
The United States has offered to sell Turkey Patriot missiles instead, but Erdogan favors the Russian missiles, which are cheaper and come with a co-production agreement that would help Turkey expand its defense manufacturing base.
IT’S COMPLICATED: <..snip..>
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/as-nato-ministers-gather-in-washington-us-rift-with-turkey-widens
