Production of F-35 Fighter Jet Parts in Turkey Will Not Cease Until the End of 2020

The American defense industry company 'Defence One' has denied earlier reports that the production of F-35 fighter jet parts in Turkey would cease by March 2020. According to the company's statement, the process of relocating production to the U.S. will not be completed until the end of 2020, as reported by ermenihaber.am.

Days ago, Ellen Lord, an assistant to the Pentagon's procurement advisor, stated that all parts production would be fully transitioned to the U.S. by March. As is known, Turkey was removed from the American F-35 fighter jet program after purchasing Russian S-400 air defense systems. However, some parts of the aircraft are still being produced in Turkey. Specifically, around 10 Turkish companies manufacture over 900 parts.

According to Turkish media, relocating parts production from Turkey to the U.S. will cost between 500,000 to 600,000 dollars.