Source : Xinhua
NKARA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) said Friday it has delayed the purchase of two F-35 jet fighters from the United States.
The SSM announced in a statement that the planned purchase has been postponed due to the unexpected technical capabilities of the aircraft and the ascending cost.
Turkish government made the decision to buy F-35 fighters on Jan. 5, 2012. It also initially plans to purchase 100 units of the fighter to renew its current fleet.
Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding on its involvement in the production process of the new generation of the U.S.-made F- 35 warplanes in 2007. The other participants are Britain, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway and Denmark.
Turkey's decision to postpone the order came at a time when numerous other countries, including Denmark and the Netherlands, had suspended their orders.
