Russia says new deal to supply air defense systems to Turkey highly likely
Russia says it is highly likely that Moscow will sign a new contract with Turkey to supply its military with Russian air defense missile systems.
“The likelihood of a new contract for the delivery of Russian air defense missile systems to Turkey is high,” Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov as saying on Saturday, without giving more details.
Moscow and Ankara finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 missile systems in late 2017. So far, Turkey has received two batteries of the advanced Russian-made systems. The deliveries are set to continue through April 2020.
The S-400 entered service with the Russian army in 2007 and is considered Russia’s most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system.
Capable of engaging targets at a distance of 400 kilometers and at an altitude of up to 30 kilometers, the missile system can destroy aircraft as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. It can also be used against land-based targets.
Turkey and the United States have been at loggerheads over Ankara's purchase of the S-400 systems, which Washington says are not compatible with NATO defenses and poses a threat to US Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets, on which Turkey had signed a deal with the US.
Washington set a deadline of July 31 for Turkey to cancel its order of Russian S-400 interceptors or lose its right to buy 100 F-35s and make parts for even more of the high-tech jets.
While rejecting the US non-compatibility claim, Ankara passed the deadline, saying that the S-400 order “is a done deal.” In response, Washington canceled its F-35 jets contract with Turkey.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Borisov said Turkey “is very interested” in purchasing Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets, hinting that Moscow was not ruling out reaching a contract with Ankara to provide the Turkish army with these advanced warplanes.
Ankara is striving to boost its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from the Turkish soil.
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