First Russian S-400 missile defense system delivery is in Turkey. What is NATO’s next move?

13.07.2019, Ankara.

A Russian military cargo plane delivered the first shipment of S-400 missile defense system components to Turkey, informed the Turkish Ministry of National Defense on July 12, reports the Turkish NTV channel.

The delivery has reached the Murted Air Base in Ankara Province, said the Turkish Ministry of Defense press release. Two AN-124-100 “Ruslan” and one IL-76MD aircraft landed with parts of the system.

The first information on the negotiations between the Russian Federation and Turkey regarding Ankara purchasing the latest missile defense system became public in November 2016. Almost a year later, in September 2017, the Russian side confirmed the contract signing, and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that S-400 will begin deployment to Turkey in October 2019.

The contract for supplying S-400 to Turkey is worth $2.5 billion, said Rostec CEO Sergei Chemizov in December 2017, some of which Turkey will pay immediately, and some will be paid towards the credit.

The US political and military leaders view negatively Turkey’s desire to acquire missile defense systems from Russia. In the past two years, US politicians and military officials have repeatedly stated that if Ankara acquires S-400 system it would undermine the security of NATO.

Besides, Washington threatened to block the delivery of the F-35 fifth-generation jet fighters to Turkey. Thus, in June 2019, Turkish pilots studying the F-35 in Arizona, USA were barred from flying on the modern fighter.

In turn, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the possible exclusion of Turkey from the F-35 program a robbery, because his country invested $ 1.4 billion in the development of the aircraft.

Editorial comment

Responding to threats from Washington, the entire Turkish leadership and President Erdogan personally made the S-400 acquisition a critical national issue to Turkey. Refusing the missile defense systems from Russia would mean a “loss of face” to Erdogan. The Turkish leader could not go there.

However, to the US, the issue of a NATO member state acquiring a missile defense system from the main competitor is extremely painful. For the reasons of preserving the military security, as well as the prestige.

If they buy Russian S-400, this means that the US Patriot missile system, which Washington offered to Ankara in place of the hated Russian missile defense systems, are “not good”.

Therefore, the US can not leave this issue unresolved and will have to respond somehow. Will Ankara be willing to take it is another question.

Nonetheless, it is obviously too soon to talk about improvement in the relationship between the most important NATO state and Turkey, whose army is the second largest in the alliance.

Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency

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