Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) might play a significant role in the production of F-16s to be purchased from the United States. According to defense industry sources, TUSAŞ could contribute to the production of F-16s if requested.
The U.S. Department of State announced that it had signed Turkey’s Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the F-16 purchase. Under this estimated $23 billion deal, it is planned to deliver 40 new F-16 Block 70 jets and modernization kits for existing jets.
While the production site of the F-16s has not yet been determined, it is suggested that TUSAŞ could participate in part of the production. TUSAŞ has previously successfully assembled various F-16 fighter jets and modernized many aircraft, ranking second in this field in Europe.
It is noted that no official meeting has yet taken place regarding TUSAŞ’s role in F-16 production. However, the company is planned to be involved in production if requested. In this case, the assembly of the F-16s could be carried out in Turkey.
TUSAŞ General Manager Prof. Dr. Temel Kotil stated in January 2023, “We have expressed our interest with our manufacturing capability. We told Lockheed Martin that we could do the assembly for the F-16s. Their teams came and assessed our situation. If they permit us, we can do it, and we would like to do it.”
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