Turkey’s homegrown fighter jet plan delayed after failed coup | Toronto Star
▻https://www.thestar.com/business/2016/08/17/turkeys-homegrown-fighter-jet-plan-delayed-after-failed-coup.html
BAE Systems PLC’s deal to develop Turkey’s first homebuilt fighter jet has been delayed by the U.K. government as it assesses the aftermath of the attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to people familiar with the situation.
Formal details of the co-operation with Turkish Aerospace Industries on the jet, dubbed the TF-X, may only be announced toward the end of the year, the people said. The agreement had originally been expected within the next few weeks, two of the people said.
BAE is competing with Airbus Group SE for the right to help design and develop the plane, which is targeted for completion by 2023, according to one of the people. A deal would help the U.K. defence industry push into new export markets, an effort that has gained importance since the June vote to exit the European Union. For Turkey, a homegrown combat aircraft would help reduce dependence on Germany and the U.S. for military equipment.
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Turkey could buy about 250 of the TF-X aircraft, Aboulafia said. The country, which has the second-biggest air force in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, already ordered 100 Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jets, due for delivery from 2018.
Les Grands-Bretons ont des états d’âme ? Voilà qui devrait faire l’affaire d’Airbus…