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The United States warned Turkey against moving ahead with plans to buy a sophisticated Russian missile defence system that the Pentagon believes would threaten its advanced F-35 fighter aircraft.
The State Department made the remarks on a day when the head of US European Command spoke to politicians on Capitol Hill and said Turkey should reconsider its plan to buy the S-400 from Russia this year.
"We've clearly warned Turkey that its potential acquisition of the S-400 will result in a reassessment of Turkey's participation in the F-35 programme, and risk other potential future arms transfers to Turkey," said deputy spokesman Robert Palladino on Tuesday.
The US agreed to sell 100 of its latest fifth-generation F-35 fighters to Turkey and has so far delivered two of the aircraft. But Congress last year ordered a delay in future deliveries.
[...] The S-400 can track a large number of potential targets, including stealth targets such as the US F-35 fighter jet. Other advantages included its high mobility, meaning it can be set up, fired and moved within minutes.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday March 06 2019, @06:17PM (1 child)
Yeah, but some critical part of the F-35 is manufactured in a key congresscritter's district! That's way more important than whether the planes are any good.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Immerman on Wednesday March 06 2019, @07:07PM
When we're the only military superpower in the world? Pretty much yes. Most of our military spending for a long time has had far more to do with enriching corporations and politicians than providing any significant increase in security. We're way past the point of diminishing returns, spending as much on our military as the next 20 (I think) largest militaries combined - the overwhelming majority of which are our allies.