US Proceeds With $23 Billion Warplane, Missile Sale to Turkey
- Sale reinforces Turkey’s defense at unsettled time in region
- But strains remain over Turkey’s use of Russian air defenses
A Turkish F-16 pilot performs a demonstration flight in Antalya, Turkey on Oct. 29, 2023.
Photographer: Orhan Cicek/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images/AnadoluThis article is for subscribers only.
The US moved ahead with a $23 billion sale of F-16 warplanes, missiles and bombs to long-time ally Turkey after Ankara’s ratification of Sweden’s membership in NATO.
Congress approved Turkey’s acquisition of as many as 40 Lockheed Martin Corp. F-16 Block 70 aircraft and 79 upgrade kits to modernize its fleet as well as hundreds of missiles and bombs. The critical sale will reinforce Turkey’s defense at a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war has roiled the Middle East.