Turkey blocked from F-35 programme

The White House confirmed yesterday that Turkey would no longer be permitted to take part in NATO’s F-35 stealth fighter jet program after it purchased a Russian missile defence system.

“Unfortunately, Turkey’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defence systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible,” White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. The US-made F-35 Joint Strike Fighter “cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities,” she said.

She said Washington had made “multiple” offers of its own Patriot missile defence system to Turkey, but Ankara went ahead and acquired the Russian system, running counter to a NATO pledge to avoid adopting Russian systems.