Stealth aircraft

The U.S. decision to suspend Turkey from the F-35 program will likely compound its already beleaguered manufacturing process, a congressional watchdog warned on May 12. 

Russia will have no access to the S-400s after all the technical procedures are completed, the head of the Turkish Defense Industry has said, describing this as a "red line" concerning ongoing cooperation with the Russians on the air defense systems.

Ankara has criticized Washington over threats to remove it from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program for purchasing the S-400 advanced missile defenses from Russia.
"We remind once more that the language of threats and sanctions will never dissuade Turkey from resolutely taking steps to ensure its national security," a statement from the country's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Turkish F-16 warplanes will fly over the country's capital Ankara on Monday to test its new Russian S-400 missile defenses, Turkish media said, despite pressure from Washington for Turkey to drop the system. 

The delivery of the second batch of the Russian S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey may be delayed beyond 2020, the planned timeline, due to talks on technology sharing and joint production, the head of the country's Presidency of Defence Industries said on Nov. 4.

Turkey expects that disagreements with the United States over production of F-35 jets will be overcome, its defense minister told Reuters, adding that Ankara remained at the center of NATO despite criticism from allies of its incursion into Syria.

Turkey's alternatives to US F-35 fighter jets are available and "offers are coming in", President Recep Erdogan said, quoted by BGNES.

Ankara and Washington clashed over Turkey's acquisition of Russia's C-400 missile systems, which the US says are not compatible with NATO defense and pose a threat to Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 stealth jets.

Russia and Turkey are holding talks about the possible sale of Russian-made Sukhoi SU-35 fighter jets to Turkey, but it is too early to talk about a concrete deal, RIA news agency cited a senior Russian official as saying on Friday.

Turkey has not given up on the U.S. F-35s, and it will not be easy to remove Ankara from the fighter jet's production program, the country's presidential spokesperson said on Sept. 10.

Turkey and Russia will commence talks on cooperation in the aviation industry in a bid to strengthen bilateral talks, including the Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jets, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's one-day visit to Moscow, according to a senior Russian official.