WORLD NEWS MARCH 28, 2019 / 1:03 AM / UPDATED 8 HOURS AGO

Despite Ankara's claims, U.S. can make F-35 without Turkish parts: sources

Mike Stone, Humeyra Pamuk
4 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States can still proceed with the trillion-dollar F-35 fighter jet program without Turkish components, U.S. sources said, rebuffing arguments by Ankara that excluding the NATO ally would be too complicated.

Washington is exploring whether it can remove Turkey from production of the stealth fighter jet, angered by Ankara’s refusal to back down from its planned purchase of a Russian-made defense missile system.

Reuters last week reported that the United States could soon freeze preparations for delivering F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. While no decision has been made, excluding Turkey from the F-35 program, in which it has been a long-time partner, would be a massive blow to already strained ties between Washington and Ankara.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said Ankara remained committed to buy a Russian air defense system that the United States says would compromise the security of F-35 aircraft, which is built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

The United States and other NATO allies who own F-35 fighter jets fear the radar on the Russian S-400 missile system will learn how to spot and track the F-35, making it less able to evade Russian weapons in the future.

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