The US State Department approved a $259 million proposed sale of avionics upgrades for Turkey’s F-16 fighter jet fleet, as a separate push to sell the country more modern versions of the aircraft remains in limbo.
(Bloomberg) — The US State Department approved a $259 million proposed sale of avionics upgrades for Turkey’s F-16 fighter jet fleet, as a separate push to sell the country more modern versions of the aircraft remains in limbo.
The upgrades would help bring Turkey’s fleet up to NATO standards and improve the country’s ability to operate with other allies. The technical improvements include communications updates and safety enhancements such as a ground collision avoidance system, the department said in a statement Monday.
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The department notified lawmakers of this approval, which is separate from a potential sale of new F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp. to Turkey — a prospect that has faced congressional opposition. That sale, which President Joe Biden has said he supported, has been held up over a range of disagreements, not least of which was Turkey’s demand for concessions before agreeing to NATO membership for Sweden and Finland in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland formally joined the alliance earlier this month but Erdogan has so far refused to ratify Sweden’s application to join NATO, citing concerns about terrorism. It wasn’t immediately clear how many or which variants of the aircraft would be upgraded as part of the potential sale.
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