On Turkey's project to upgrade its F-16 jet fleet, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that technical work has been started for both the supply of Block 70 Viper F-16s from the US and the modernization of some jets it already owns, Anadolu reports.
“The strengthening of Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces also means the strengthening of NATO defense,” he argued.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the United States had offered Turkey F-16 fighter jets in exchange for its investment in the F-35 program, from which Ankara was removed after the purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems. However, US State Department spokesman Ned Price opposed Erdogan, saying that the United States had not made any financial offer on Turkey’s request for F-16 fighter jets.
