F-35 - Til tross for bråk mottar Tyrkia sin første maskin - AIN

Turkey Receives First F-35 Despite Political Row 

A delivery ceremony for Turkey’s first F-35A stealth fighter went ahead at Fort Worth yesterday, despite Congressional action that could prevent the aircraft leaving the U.S. The Senate version of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) refers to deteriorating relations with Turkey in general and the nation's planned acquisition of the Russian S-400 SAM system in particular. The F-35 that was unveiled is one of two that is scheduled to fly to Luke AFB later this month, where Turkish air force pilots and maintainers will train on them for the next 16 months.

Although the Pentagon has made clear its opposition to Turkey’s S-400 deal, CNN reported that Secretary of Defense James Mattis is opposed to the Senate action, and is trying to prevent the language from appearing in the final NDAA. But no U.S. government or military official spoke at the delivery ceremony, and Turkey was represented only by mid-level officials. In theory, a law already enacted by the U.S. Congress could also prevent Turkey from operating F-35s. It sanctions countries that buy Russian defense equipment.