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View Full Version : EU and US Compete for Turkey's 120 War Aircraft



Clearday-TRForce
03-16-2006, 10:29 AM
By Isa Sezen, Torino
Published: Wednesday, March 15, 2006
zaman.com


European and American companies are battling it out in the competition to secure Turkey’s project to buy 120 aircraft worth 10 billion euros by 2023 to rejuvenate its defense power.

Four European countries, co-manufacturers of Eurofighter, the most developed fourth generation war plane model, are exerting every effort to include Turkey in the consortium.

Officials from the Italian company, Alenia, marketing the plane to Turkey, took the opportunity of Turkish Minister for Industry and Trade Ali Coskun’s visit to Italy to develop commercial cooperation and lobbied on the issue.

The company’s top administrators took Coskun to Torino to promote the manufacturing line, where the minister was treated to a display of Eurofighter aircraft.

The Eurofighter project includes UK, Germany, Spain and Italy is represented by Alenia.

Eurofighters can easily be programmed to conduct air to air attacks to air to land attacks.

The consortium, considering potential countries such as Austria, Saudi Arabia and Norway as customers, want to include Turkey in the manufacturing line, officially communicated its proposal for a manufacturing cooperation to Turkey last month.

If Turkey accepts the proposal, technology from European countries will be transferred and the manufacture of some certain Eurofighter parts will be given the go ahead. The manufacturing line of the aircrafts to be purchased will also be established in Turkey.

Italian Alenia’s CEO Mancusi Giovanni said they want to include Turkey as an indispensable strategic partner in Europe’s biggest air defense project with a budget of 20 billion euros.

American Lockheed Martin and Boeing are also closely interested in the order of 120 aircraft, and the two companies are working to prepare a war plane fitting Turkey’s standards.



regards,
CDTRF

SEAHAWK
03-16-2006, 12:01 PM
Actually, this not like an exact competetion. As I got the news from my sources, Turkey will probably buy bought of them. The possible numbers are like 80 F-35 and 40 EF-2000. But this numbers are only predictions. The numbers are not exact of course.

In my opinion, the "mixed" solution is the best, too.:)

Mastermind
03-16-2006, 01:52 PM
Why is the "mixed solution" the best solution..could you elaborate on your idea a bit.

SEAHAWK
03-17-2006, 12:30 PM
Why is the "mixed solution" the best solution..could you elaborate on your idea a bit.

We know that EF-2000 will be a better Air-to-Air fighter. And F-35 will be a better "strike" aircraft with it's steahlt and V/STOL specifics.;) (Turkey will get both normal and V/STOL versions of F-35. But the numbers are not clear.)

Mastermind
03-17-2006, 12:52 PM
I misunderstood...I thought the required specification up for bid was for fighters of the same mission capabilities.