Turkey to build fuselages of F-35s

Undersecretary for the Defense Industry Murat Bayar announces that Turkey will receive 100 F-35s starting from 2014.

The fuselage of the F-35 JSF will be manufactured in Turkey, under a $200 billion program. This contribution from Turkey to the project will be compensating for half of the $10 billion cost.

BEsides than the United States and Turkey, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia are also participating in the project.

"Overall, 3,200 F-35s will be produced and 100 of them will be delivered to Turkish Air Forces starting from 2014 progressively," Bayar said.

The Joint Strike Fighter's concept demonstration phase was initiated in 1998 and Turkey joined the project in 2001.

Turkey is still in negotiations for the manufacturing of engines.

Turkey does not posses the technology to produce aircraft at the moment, Bayar noted. For this reason, consortiums are being sought, he added.

Source : F-16.net

(http://www.f-16.net/news_article2242.html)
by Lieven Dewitte

Posted : March 22, 2007

Photo : F-35 Lightning II fourth flight - January 23th, 2007
[LMTAS photo]


(30.03.2007)