Turkish Aerospace Industries has signed two contracts worth nearly $2 billion with the country’s largest defense company to upgrade F-16 fighter jets.
The deals announced by Aselsan, a military electronics specialist, were for $1.2 billion and 20.7 billion liras (U.S. $789.2 million).
The Biden administration has backed Turkey’s desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the U.S. It’s a move some in Congress, most notably Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J, have opposed over Turkey blocking NATO membership for Sweden, its human rights record, its relations with Greece and other concerns.
Neither TAI nor Aselsan revealed details of the contracts, inked July 13. But a government procurement official and sources with the businesses told Defense News that the contracts are related to a program to upgrade Turkey’s aging F-16s, starting with the Block 30 level.
The upgrade program will include a new mission computer, an active electronically scanned array radar and new avionic suites for about 150 Turkish F-16 aircraft. The program will also include new cockpit color displays, a new indigenous identification friend or foe system, a new system interface unit, a hydraulic fuel gauge, new radar warning receivers, and an inertial navigation system.