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US may suspend Turkish pilots from F-35 training program over S-400 deal

Turkish pilots might be excluded from participating in the F-35 training program, in yet another att..

      Turkish pilots might be excluded from participating in the F-35 training program, in yet another attempt by Washington to force its NATO ally out of the S-400 air defense system deal with Russia, according to a new report.      

The US is “seriously considering suspending training for Turkish pilots on advanced F-35 fighter jets,” two anonymous sources told Reuters on Tuesday, without elaborating if the decision was already made.

Currently, four Turkish pilots and 47 military personnel are stationed in Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where they are being taught how to handle the fifth-generation stealth jets. However, Ankara also has its servicemen training in Russia for the use of the S-400 air defense systems, first units of which are scheduled to be delivered to Turkey in the summer.

Also on rt.com Turkey braces for potential US sanctions over S-400 purchase as troops begin training in Russia

The government of President Recep Erdogan maintains that it needs both F-35s and the Russian S-400 systems to protect its sovereignty in the troubled region. The US, however, is steaming ahead with its arm-twisting tactics trying to coerce Ankara to back down of $2.5 billion defense deal with Moscow.

Turkey has ordered 100 units of the F-35 and continues to insist that the stealth fighters must be delivered, especially since Ankara invested $1.25 billion into the trillion-dollar program, producing parts of the fuselage, landing gear, and cockpit displays for the jets.

Also on rt.com No other options: US will deliver F-35s, while Turkey will get S-400… and S-500, Erdogan says

Insisting that a good NATO partner should only purchase US-approved weaponry, Washington announced a halt in delivery of equipment related to the F-35 to Turkey in late March. Last week, Ankara said that itRead More – Source
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