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US Warns Turkey Not To Buy Russian S-400 Missile System

posted by janrinok on Wednesday March 06 2019, @05:39PM   Printer-friendly
from the muscle-flexing dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

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.

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  • (Score: 2) by zocalo on Wednesday March 06 2019, @06:37PM (6 children)

    by zocalo (302) on Wednesday March 06 2019, @06:37PM (#810804)
    Pretty sure there's some kind of double-bluff going on here; it's not like Turkey would be using the system to shoot down its own F-35s (unless there's another military backed coup attempt, anyway) or those of any NATO allies, so why would it matter if they have the S-400, unless they're anticipating a scenario where the US is in a shooting war against Turkey? Either the system is flawed/hackable somehow and this is a ploy to make more nations the US feels it might get into a shooting war with invest in a system that they don't see as a significant threat. Alternatively, since Turkey is a NATO member and (supposedly) a US ally, this should also be a good opportunity for the US to get a *real* close look at the S-400 system - if they haven't already.

    Or maybe it's just Trump trying to reduce that growing trade deficit and get the Turks to procure an alternative US manufactured missile system instead? Yeah, that's more likely, I suspect. Can't wait for Ergogan's response though; pretty sure there are some Gülenists in the US that are probably about to become bargaining chips since society has apparently sunk back to a level where that's the way things are done these days. "OK, we'll buy your US' built missile system, but we want you to hand over Fethullah Gülen and the following other supporters at the same time..."
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  • (Score: 3, Disagree) by NewNic on Wednesday March 06 2019, @09:15PM (3 children)

    by NewNic (6420) on Wednesday March 06 2019, @09:15PM (#810871) Journal

    What's going on is that some people in the USA are afraid that Russia will get information on how to identify and track the F35s, through the operation of the S-400 missile system. There will undoubtedly be Russian technicians helping with the deployment, operation and maintenance of the S-400 systems. Flying the F35s in the vicinity may allow those Russian technicians to see what the radar profile of the F35 is like.

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    lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory

    • (Score: 2) by zocalo on Wednesday March 06 2019, @09:47PM (1 child)

      by zocalo (302) on Wednesday March 06 2019, @09:47PM (#810881)
      Sure, but the Russians could surely do that anyway just by positioning the radar system (which doesn't even need to be hooked up to the missile launcher) somewhere F35s are known to be operating and they have a reason to have a radar system within range. Plenty of places they could probably do that if they haven't done so already (e.g. the Israeli F35 strike on Syria), and they'd have even more options if the radar was mounted on a ship. Unless the US is planning on telling all its F35 customers they cannot use the F35 for monitoring Russian naval vessels - which would go down real well, I'm sure - it's just a matter of time. The only difference with Turkey would be that the situation could be much more controlled, and therefore give more meaningful results, but maybe that's enough?
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      • (Score: 2) by NewNic on Wednesday March 06 2019, @10:29PM

        by NewNic (6420) on Wednesday March 06 2019, @10:29PM (#810889) Journal

        The only difference with Turkey would be that the situation could be much more controlled, and therefore give more meaningful results, but maybe that's enough?

        I think you answered your own question.

        --
        lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory

    • (Score: 2) by Bot on Thursday March 07 2019, @12:11AM

      by Bot (3902) on Thursday March 07 2019, @12:11AM (#810935) Journal

      >how to identify and track the F35s
        My AI says: follow the money.

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  • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday March 06 2019, @11:02PM (1 child)

    by tangomargarine (667) on Wednesday March 06 2019, @11:02PM (#810912)

    it's not like Turkey would be using the system to shoot down its own F-35s (unless there's another military backed coup attempt, anyway) or those of any NATO allies, so why would it matter if they have the S-400, unless they're anticipating a scenario where the US is in a shooting war against Turkey?

    1) U.S. sells F-35s to Turkey
    2) Turkey buys missile battery from Russia
    3) U.S. pitches a fit
    4) Turkey says "fuck off" and promptly gives one of their F-35s to Russia to take apart, while keeping their missile battery
    5) U.S. sends F-35s over Turkey, they promptly get shot down

    O NO THEY DI'INT

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    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday March 06 2019, @11:04PM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Wednesday March 06 2019, @11:04PM (#810915)

      Or would the U.S. not be operating F-35s themselves? Instead substitute "sends F-22s over Turkey; F-22 pilots suffocate and crash; Turkey sends F-22 wreckage to Russia to be studied"

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