House bill would limit transfer of F-35 aircraft to Turkey

Legislation that seeks to limit the transfer of F-35 aircraft to Turkey was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week.

The Protecting NATO Skies Act of 2019 was introduced by Mike Turner (R-OH), John Garamendi (D-CA), and Paul Cook (R-CA). It is a companion bill to legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK).

“Turkey is our friend and partner,” Turner said. “However, Turkey is choosing to jeopardize its F-35 partner status for dealings with the Russian Federation. It is imperative that we prevent our superior F-35 capabilities from falling into the wrong hands. I strongly urge Turkey to reconsider its purchase of the Russian S-400.”

At an Armed Services Committee hearing in March, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Turkey would not be able to buy the F-35 if Turkey proceeds with a deal to acquire Russian air defense systems.

“Turkey is an important NATO ally and key supplier in the multinational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, and I have very serious concerns about Turkey’s intention to acquire and operate the Russian S-400 air defense system,” Garamendi said. “Operating the S-400 alongside the F-35 would compromise the aircraft and its sensitive technology, impact interoperability among NATO allies, and most importantly pose serious risk to our shared defense and security. This bill sends a strong and important message to Turkey — proceeding with the S-400 is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Turner is a senior member of the House Armed Services and Intelligence Committees. He currently serves as Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.