Turkey snubs Eurofighter for own jet

Wed Dec 22, 2010

Turkey has reportedly dropped plans to obtain the twin-engine, multirole Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, choosing to develop its own warplane.

The Defense Industry Executive Committee in the country has cancelled the potential purchase of 60 state-of-the-art Typhoon fighter jets, said The Media Line (TML), a news outlet reporting on the Middle East, on Monday.

Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said last week and following the decision, “This move by the committee effectively is a decision for making Turkey's first fighter aircraft.”

“The Eurofighter is off Turkey's agenda,” Gonul added.

"The decision we have taken now calls for the production of a totally national and original aircraft,” he said.

The Turkish Defense Industry's Procurement Agency has set aside some $20 million for a two-year conceptual design study, TML said.

The aircraft are expected to be unveiled around 2023.

A Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) plant in the outskirts of Ankara assembles F-16 fighter jets at a based on a contract with Lockheed Martin.

Turkish government has named state-controlled TAI as the general coordinator of the new fighter jet.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/156561.html.