Turkey to order more F-35 jets

Turkey has decided to order four more of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets in addition to the two it previously ordered, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Wednesday.
Turkey said in 2012 it was sticking to plans to buy 100 of the planes with an initial order of two planes for delivery in 2015.
“It is planned that Turkey will buy 100 F-35 warplanes as part of the project. We previously ordered two in this framework. We have now decided to order four more,” Davutoğlu said after a meeting with Turkey’s Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM).
The plane is being developed and built by Lockheed Martin Corp for the US military and allies in a $399 billion project, the world’s most expensive weapons program.
The F-35 is intended to deliver advanced stealth capabilities, improved maneuverability and high-tech sensors, but the program has struggled with delays and budget overruns.
Davutoğlu also said the decision was taken at the meeting to continue talks on Turkey’s planned long-range missile system project.
In September, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was in talks with France on purchasing such a defense system after disagreements with China, which was originally awarded the tender.
US and NATO officials have said Turkish collaboration with China on the system would have raised questions about compatibility of weaponry and security