First F-35A to be delivered to Turkey on June 21

[MMM-E]

Turkish Air Force F-35A (18-0001, construction number AT-1) logged its maiden flight from NAS JRB Fort Worth on 10 May 2018.
Serial 18-0001 took off at 14:47 hrs (local time) and landed at 16:00 hrs
The Lightning II was successfully flown by Commander Wilson

 

[xenon54 out]

Great machine cant wait to see it in Turkish skies.

 

[Fenasi Kerim]

Looking forward to it! More so the EU, US and Arab faces that said “US will block f35 sales to Turkey”. Reminds me of the saying of sultan Murad, “Trying to conquer Baghdad, was almost more beautiful than Baghdad itself.”

 

[Quibbler]

This is indeed a beauty. The best performing aircraft in the world (maybe after f-22). Must feel great.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

This is indeed a beauty. The best performing aircraft in the world (maybe after f-22). Must feel great.

It's not the same class as Su-57 and J-20. F-35 is medium sized like F-16, Rafale, Typhoon, MiG-29 / 35.

 

[Quibbler]

It's not the same class as Su-57 and J-20. F-35 is medium sized like F-16, Rafale, Typhoon, MiG-29 / 35.

Yes i know its medium multi role. I meant in the sense that if someone had an option to buy 1 plane, just one for free. This would probaby be it.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

I guess that goes Turkey's indigenous 5th generation jet project. America was never going to sell Turkey the engines. Engines are the heart of a plane.

 

[xenon54 out]

I guess that goes Turkey's indigenous 5th generation jet project. America was never going to sell Turkey the engines. Engines are the heart of a plane.

To clarify it one for all F-35 is gonna replace the F-4.

Also keep in mind the TFX is intended as a twin engine air superiority fighter hence a different class.

 

[rambro]

Gratz, still turkey should go on with its own stealth fighter program to not be on short leash again

 

[HannibalBarca]

Any Delivery schedule for those TR F-35 order?

 

[monitor]

Great news 100 F-35 200 F-16 200 TFX
A fleet of 500 modern fighter.

 

[cloud4000]

The Arabs hate to see the West give us all these shiny toys.

After all the legs they opened for the western masters, and to see the western in return give these toys to us... must be a huge slap in the face for the Arab terrorists.

The Arabs -- meaning Gulf states -- will get the F-35, it's just a question of when. Trump likes countries to buy US weapons and he particularly likes those that pay in cash.

 

[dBSPL]

Gratz, still turkey should go on with its own stealth fighter program to not be on short leash again

Until 2030, Turkish air forces will fully belong to unmanned aerial vehicles in their operations against asymmetric and terrorist targets. Tactical and Male-class unmanned aerial vehicles will be followed by autonomous ground-attack aircrafts. (Known as MIUS) Currently, intelligence, image and patrol-reconnaissance missions are mainly provided by UAVs.

my predicted road-map for the manned fleets are as follows.
- JSF (2018 - ....)
- SOJ Fleet will enter into active service (2021/2023)
- A new modernization program that includes Aesa radar and domestic mission computer in the current F-16 fleet. (I guess )
- Hurjet light attack jet bc of low maintenance requirements and operational costs (2022/2024 - ...)
- TFX B1 Low rate initial production (2026/2030 - .... )
- Evaluation of the purchase of an stobar or catobar aircraft after 2035.

 

[Yaseen1]

i think turkey will not be given this plane.it seems fake news.u.s not trust Muslims enough to give this modern plane to them.if they intended to sell it they first sell it to india to contain china.they may be fooling turkey

 

[dBSPL]

Turkey is one of the main partners of the aircraft from the development process. Not an foreign buyer. Turkey will provide some very critical sub-components to some European forces and its fleets (e.g., for central-body procution, Turkey is only country outside of U.S. ). Turkey will also operate one of the two main maintenance base to be found in Europe.Currently off-set share is over $ 15 billion. This is almost equal to the amount of total buying costs .