The Daily Turkey Roast

It is well known about Turkey's insistence on buying Russian made S-400 missiles in the face of purchasing 100 or so US made F-35's. Turkey may have biffed it for itself but it also has made itself more reliant on external sources to military equipment by adding Russia to its list of military sources than just NATO or the USA. Turkey is independent but I get that and respect its solidarity for its independence when it bought the S-400 missile system from Russia.



Let's be honest since major powers put honesty as an indefensible point of its attack for any sensible defense, huh? There is no comparison between having an S-400 or an F-35 wing in its arsenal. The F-35 wins this trade-off in spades over the S-400. The only consolation prize is the costs savings after dropping the F-35 purchase and buying a cheaper Russian missile system in its place. Turkey cannot afford "American made" military-industrial complex products. Turkey won't be buying a Virginia Class submarine either for entering the Black Sea.

Turkey is a minor league military power and should not be buying major league pieces to dot its defensive board. The US loses because it has priced itself out of the third world military axis of powers. Russia meets the Turkey market place pricing scheme. The US may not have offered Turkey enough of a subsidy for Turkey to buy an F-35 system. Therefore, Turkey went to the bargain basement and bought the S-400. The US is too expensive for the likes of Turkey even though Turkey had built a strong technology industrial source for everything tech, hence the F-35 program participation. Turkey builds 900 plus parts for the F-35. The US is rapidly switching out F-35 parts sources that are not labeled, "made in Turkey".

Turkey was a partner for the money of it and it has now chosen something it can afford but in doing so it has given up the supporting the F-35 money footprint since it will not be making F-35 technology (parts) at all or so it seems. Russian S-400 parts making would not be able to replace the loss of the F-35 program over the long run. Turkey is just being a third world poser as it should. Therefore, the US should have acted accordingly and sold turkey more F-15Xs than offering the F-35 in the first place.

Turkey will talk to Russia about buying the Russian 5th gen fighter SU-57. It will want to offer a Su-57 parts contribution to that program not unlike what it had done with the F-35 program before it bought the Russian made S-400. So a recap of the SU-57 program is needed. It is airshow worthy. About a dozen of them exists at this time. What is known about them is a typical Russian overestimated effort for its excellence. The F-35 is no Su-57 because the F-35 is technologically better. India gave up on trying to partner with Russia on the Su-57 program. There will be a Turkish Su-57 hanger for three flying copies. One will eventually crash. NATO will use this opportunity to play the US for more stuff.

Now on this side of the planet, The US has more than a Patriot missile system to offer. Even though a Patriot label represents the most advanced missile system in the world, there is something more advanced having a Patriot label glued on it. The US has had too much time on its hands since the first Patriot system was first deployed. It stands to reason the US has a trump card to play in its arsenal but it won't sell that card to anyone as it is part of its national defense policy. Don't know what it is called and the name doesn't matter at this time. The theories do abound on what the US does have but it best speculated using assumptions with a range of capability from a winged drone to a hypersonic missile with all the bells and whistles. Russia and China are working on both and brag they have it today even though they are years behind what the US has. Why this is so? Because if it isn't we are in deep do-do. 

Proven concepts are in place waiting for productions orders. Boeing, Lockheed, and Northrup have a space ready to make "rain" happen. Satellites, HARRP, and lasers are not even calculated at this time. The more you know the more Turkey becomes a third world military complex. The F-35 was too expensive for them even holding techno parts contracts that are currently producing parts with which will come to a close shortly. The US is hoping to get its Turkey production replacements in place over the next six months into the F-35 supply chain.

Concluding, the Turkey F-35 withdrawal establishes a Geopolitical change has occurred and Turkey has become US baggage as it became a casualty of power. Mediterranean food is excellent and Turkey remains a great place to visit if enough money is spent. Turkey will host itself in the shine of coinage.