Turkish-US cooperation on defense grows

[Clearday-TRForce]

WASHINGTON/ANKARA – TDN Defense Desk


The growing collaboration between the United States and Turkey on the defense needs of the country got another boost on Tuesday when Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül, on a visit to the United States, said Turkey is now looking to obtain a local work share worth up to $6 billion in the U.S.-led Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 program, in an effort to offset about half of the program's expected $11 billion to $12 billion cost for Turkey

Also on Tuesday, the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) and the U.S. Sikorsky Aircraft resolved a major dispute over the payment method to finance the sale of 12 S-70B Seahawk naval warfare helicopters to the Turkish Naval Forces Command. A contract will be signed on Wednesday, an official said.

The remarks put an end to months of financial wrangling between the SSM and Sikorsky.



regards,
CDTRF

[Clearday-TRForce]

Turkey eyes local work share worth $6 billion in JSF
Wednesday, November 1, 2006

ÜMİT ENGINSOY

WASHINGTON - Turkish Daily News


Having chosen the U.S.-led Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 as its new-generation fighter aircraft, Turkey now is seeking to obtain a local work share worth up to $6 billion in the platforms' manufacture in an effort to offset about half of the program's expected $11 billion to $12 billion cost for Turkey, Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül said.Gönül formally confirmed Turkey's plan to buy around 100 F-35s at a press conference here on late Monday after his talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and officials from Lockheed Martin, the U.S. company that leads the nine-nation JSF's production. Gönül urged the U.S. side to agree to “remove some problems regarding national sovereignty issues and provide a more meaningful Turkish industry participation.”Gönül said that in his talks with Rumsfeld, he asked for “improvements that would enable Turkey to make its final decision to take part in the JSF's participation phase beginning in 2007.” The minister said Turkey had so far received pledges for Turkish industry work worth $4.2 billion in the JSF program and that his government wanted to raise this figure to between $5 billion and $6 billion.

For instance, Turkish procurement officials said they earlier in the year had secured the manufacture of the center fuselage for 400 F-35s, worth $1.85 billion at 2002 prices, by Turkey's Tusas Aerospace Industry (TAI). At today's prices the figure is close to $2.5 billion. Several other Turkish companies are also due to be involved in the production phase.But a U.S. industry source here said that Turkey's desire to raise its local work share to up to $6 billion may not be realistic. “These are last-minute talks, and the United States and Lockheed Martin are bargaining with eight nations, so Turkey is not the only country seeking to get more,” said the source. “So there may not be a drastic rise in Turkey's case.”The participating nations should sign a memorandum of understanding before the yearend confirming their commitment to a JSF buy and also finalize bilateral agreements with the United States to determine each country's industrial role. The nine countries expected to commit to a JSF purchase are the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, Canada, Denmark and Norway -- all are members of the JSF's ongoing system development and demonstration phase.

Gönül also confirmed that Turkey had not made any decision for a purchase from the F-35 JSF's rival, Europe's Eurofighter consortium that manufactures the Eurofighter Typhoon. Earlier this year the JSF and the Eurofighter were in a fierce competition to sell their platforms to Ankara, but in recent weeks the military command -- the Air Force and the General Staff -- opted for the F-35.

In the largest contract in the Pengaton's history -- worth more than $280 billion -- over 3,000 F-35 Lightning II aircraft are planned to be produced eventually, with the United States buying around 2,400.

The new-generation fighters are planned to replace the Turkish Air Force's present fleet of aging F-16s and Vietnam War-era F-4Es.




regards,
CDTRF

[Clearday-TRForce]

Textron Systems gets contract from U.S. Air Force

Textron Systems Corp. said it has received a foreign military sale contract from the U.S. Air Force, for the sale of the sensor fuzed weapon to the Turkish Air Force.

The sale of the weapon, also known as CBU-105, will equip the Turkish Air Force F-16 with a smart weapon able to destroy multiple moving or stationary land and maritime threats, with "minimum collateral damage," Textron Systems said.

"We are seeing strong international interest in this very versatile weapon since its impressive debut in Operation Iraqi Freedom," Tom Harrington, vice president of airborne products at Textron Systems, said in a news release. "Working together with the U.S. Air Force, Textron Systems is quite pleased to provide the Turkish Air Force with this powerful and proven weapon system."

Textron Systems serves the global aerospace and defense industries. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avco Corp., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Providence-based Textron Inc.

Current story link: http://www.pbn.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/123423



Turkey gets 50 gbu 105/SFW WCMD (CBU-105 Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser (WCMD) and 50 gbu 103/CEM WCMD weapons. The weapon is most effective when employed at low altitude from level flight attitudes in a non-countermeasured environment

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/cbu97_35.gif
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/cbu97_32.jpg


22 Litening-III (20 opsiyon) pod
5 AWW-13 data-Link (SLAM-ER)
200 GBU-31 JDAM
200 GBU-38 JDAM
100 BLU-109
50 CBU-103/CEM WCMD
50 CBU-105/SFW WCMD
50 AGM-84K SLAM-ER
50 AGM-154A-1 JSOW Block-II / BLU-111
54 AGM-154C JSOW-C / Broach




regards,
CDTRF