talkitron wrote:Preventing Turkey from purchasing the F-35 when they have been a major NATO and F-35 program member for many years would be a major escalation in political conflict between Turkey and the US. Turkish companies presumably are subcontractors on the program as well. President Trump is a wildcard but I doubt National Security Adviser Kelly and Secretary of Defense Mattis would be in favor of such a move.
India has a much deeper defense relationship with Russia than Turkey does. The Turkish purchase of the S-400 SAM system is relatively new and the S-400 is considered to be a leader in its class. I also believe Turkey continues to cooperate in SAM development with France and Italy.
Turkey is on the way out of NATO. Their moving into a Russian alliance. The country is becoming an anti-democratic, anti-liberal society. Having elections doesn't mean your a democracy. Liberal democracy doesn't mean left wing thinking. It means independent courts, and rule of law, separation of legislative, and executive powers, free media, freedom of speech, assemble, religion, and expression, multi parties, guaranteed minority rights. Turkey is rapidly losing all of these freedoms.
To let a country like that have first strike aircraft, that can attack any of their neighbors, with virtual impunity, and let them pass that technology to our advisories would be foolish. If Turkey gets the F-35 we will all live to regret it. We will not be helping the cause of peace in the region. Helping Russia, and China advance their stealth technology will put the whole free world in greater danger. There is no up side to this. LM can sell F-35s to a lot of other countries.