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, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 06 2019, @08:01PM (4 children)
As a Kiwi who has a Great Uncle buried at Gallipoli those words mean something.
Those Mehmets were as brave as our boys, even if they were as poorly led. It's a real shame they've let their government become what it is now.
The Turks of Gallipoli are lovely people, if you're from an ANZAC country.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday March 06 2019, @08:36PM (3 children)
I think there's a decent argument to be made that outside of Gallipoli, the Brits didn't do anything as spectacularly stupid as the Ottomans. For instance, early in the Great War, the Ottomans launched a surprise attack on the Suez Canal after a daring and creative desert crossing ... only to fail to realize that there was such a thing as scout aircraft, and the Brits knew exactly when and where this "surprise" attack was going to hit. Or their attacks in the Caucasus against the Russians where they forgot that armies have a much easier time of it when they are given the food and equipment they need to not freeze to death.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 06 2019, @09:03PM (2 children)
The ANZACs were described as lions led by donkeys, and that probably applied to the Turks as well. I think that's one of the reasons the Young Turks overthrew the Empire after the war. They were well aware how badly the whole deal was run.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Thexalon on Wednesday March 06 2019, @09:41PM (1 child)
Pretty much all sides were beset by severe incompetence among the officers. If you're interested in WWI, I highly recommend The Great War [youtube.com], a Youtube series that covered what was going on 100 years after it happened (e.g. early December 1917 was covered in early December 2017).
Of course, the dumbest move in WWI has to be starting it in the first place!
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 06 2019, @10:39PM
I have watched many of those videos, and you're right they're great. I particularly like the way they go into detail on the less well know fronts, like Bulgaria, or the Italian campaigns.