BY : todayszaman



Turkey's planned purchase of four long-range air and missile defense systems has reportedly divided the Tactical Air Force Command over the type of missiles to be purchased.

Though the preference of the new Air Force Commander Gen. Aydoğan Babaoğlu regarding the type of missile defense systems to be acquired is not yet clear, his senior commanders are said to have been divided over the selection of either Russian S-400 missiles or US Lockheed Martin and Raytheon-made Patriot missiles. Half of the Tactical Air Force Command's top commanders are said to favor the Russian missiles. Russia, which had previously decided not to participate in Turkey's long-range missile defense project after seeking to hold state to state negotiations as a sole participant, has also reportedly changed its mind.

Russia is expected to deliver a proposal for the tender before the end of this year, said Turkish defense industry sources. Russia initially believed that there had been a political decision in Turkey to buy US Patriots and thus it would be futile to compete in the tender. In the meantime, despite Russia’s initial intention of offering S-300 missiles in response to Turkey’s tender, it is now highly likely that Moscow will now propose the latest version, the S-400, upon Turkey’s insistence.

Turkey released a request for information (RfI) in March this year for the acquisition of four long-range air and missile defense systems -- Turkish Long Range Air and Missile Defense System (T-LORAMIDS) -- to meet the air force requirements. The project is estimated to cost around $1.2 billion. Turkey has long been planning to acquire long-range missiles to strengthen its capabilities to deter both ballistic and conventional missile threats.

Meanwhile, the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) is not expected to issue a request for proposal (RfP) in the missile acquisition project in order to allow US companies to compete. Unlike an RfI, which involves mainly information gathering on the systems to be offered, an RfP imposes some conditions that make it more difficult for the US to compete in Turkish military tenders, such as high-technology transfers that US laws do not permit.

But unlike the earlier practice, the SSM has reportedly eased contract terms and conditions to open the way for more US companies to bid in the Turkish military tenders, according to US sources. US Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are bidding in Turkey’s long-range missile project with a combination of Patriot 2 and Patriot 3 missiles under foreign military sales conditions.

Turkey’s main concern in buying Russian systems is Moscow’s negligence in supporting the systems it sells in the long term with logistics and maintenance, said local defense industry sources.

Göktürk satellite project

In addition to Russia, the US as well as French and South Korean companies declined to bid in Turkey’s 0.8-resolution reconnaissance and surveillance satellite system acquisition project, code-named Göktürk and opened for competition in late 2006.

The UK EADS-Astrium, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Germany’s OHB-SYSTEM and Italy’s Telespazio companies responded to the RfPs released on July 14, 2006, by the SSM and terminated on Dec. 18, 2006. The project is estimated to cost around $250 million.