WASHINGTON _ The Pentagon is delaying delivery of two F-35 fighter jets intended to help train Turkish pilots at an Arizona base because of Turkey's plan to buy a Russian missile defense system, according to U.S. defense officials.
The advanced fighters, built by Lockheed Martin Corp., were to join two F-35s previously delivered to Luke Air Force Base for pilot training before the planes were supposed to be sent to Turkey.
The U.S. has vigorously protested Turkey's plan to buy the S-400 defense system from Moscow, with Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan calling it "incompatible" with the sale to Turkey of the F-35. The U.S. has sought to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to buy the U.S. Patriot defense system instead.
Turkey, a member of NATO, is a crucial participant in the U.S.-led program to build the F-35, the U.S.'s costliest weapons system. Ten Turkish companies have been set to produce about $12 billion in parts for the fighter jet, including key components such as the center fuselage and some landing gear.
Turkey has planned to buy about 100 F-35s, joining Japan, the U.K. and Australia as the top international customers for the plane from Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed.
Turkey's move to buy the S-400 reflects a broader political shift as Erdogan finds himself increasingly at odds with the U.S.
