Image source: topwar.ru
During his visit to London, Hulusi Akar, at a meeting with his British counterpart, voiced Ankara's desire to buy "in full". The Turks want Eurofighter fighters, Hercules transporters, Type 23 frigates, which are not going to be sold yet, because the arrival of Type 26 frigates has shifted greatly to the right. Only the first one is on the way - "Glasgow". But the question is how long it will take to bring it "to mind". Judging by the Type 45 destroyers, a lot.
The general wish list includes engines for M60 tanks, although, if you believe the rumors, the Turkish industry has long mastered the production of these power units. And if, in principle, there are no special problems in the supply of tank engines, then in other areas of "mutually beneficial" trade in the arms segment, the British will not miss the opportunity to put Ankara on a short leash. Although there are certainly questions about supplies. Including the ability of the Turkish side to pay for large supplies.
Where will the Turks get the extra 10 billion, given that their economy is, to put it mildly, not in the best condition? It has already been said about the frigates, we can only add that the Type 23 is not much better than their old Perry.
There are also nuances about airplanes. Will the United States allow the re-export of its "Hercules", taking into account the fact that Washington's relations with Ankara are by no means cloudless now. And here it's not even the White House, but the fact that such an option can "hack" the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. In the same way as the F-16 solution is now "frozen". The transfer of the Eurofighter Typhoon does not depend on Washington's decisions, but on the other hand, London is unlikely to want to quarrel with the "big brother". And that's exactly what will happen, because the state of the Turkish Air Force is deplorable and they are now looking for any opportunities to get out of this dangerous situation. And the F-16 is a strong lever to influence Erdogan. If London knocks out this "lever" from Washington, it will not be understood there. Although for Ankara, buying Eurofighters, even if used, is a very good move. The European aircraft is much "younger" than the F-16, its capabilities are much wider. The only drawback is the two-engine circuit, which makes operation and repair more costly. But if there is money to buy, and the British still take the risk, then the Turks will have a chance to buy fairly modern cars. If the "offset" goes even if the minimal localization of the airframe and engine in Turkey, then in general it is good for her. They will go one step further in creating their own aircraft, even if not the 5th generation, but at least 4+. But so far all this is under discussion, as there are problems both with money and with the decisions of the British.
