Turkey and Russia are actively cooperating in the defense industry sphere, including on the development of Turkey’s TF-X fighter jet, Head of Turkey’s Defense Industries Presidency Ismail Demir said.

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Turkey’s TF-X fighter jet project (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Head of Turkey’s Defense Industries Presidency Ismail Demir said in an interview with the Milliyet newspaper: “There are many provisions of cooperation in our talks with Russia. They include issues connected with the development of [Turkey’s] national warplanes [TF-X]. Since the TF-X national jet will leave the hangar in 2023, there is a type of engine we have chosen and there are certain systems. But it will undergo phased replacement, development, modernization and localization of certain systems with time. During this process, talks may be held with the Russian side about concrete localization systems. Today, we are not discussing such a wide range of details,”.

Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said in August that Russia and Turkey were holding consultations on cooperation in the development of Turkey’s TF-X fighter jet.

Turkey has been working on the project of its national fighter jet since 2016. Great Britain’s BAE Systems is also taking part in the development work. The work on the TF-X was held concurrently with Turkey’s participation in the F-35 fighter jet program. The country was supposed to receive about 100 such aircraft but the United States excluded Turkey from the program following Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems. In this context, the development of the fifth-generation fighter has become even more relevant, taking into account that this is a strategic goal of the country’s leadership.

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