Vance Says US Reviewing Path for Turkey to Acquire F-35 Jets
The Trump administration has opened a formal review on whether Turkey can rejoin the F-35 program after years of exclusion over its Russian arms purchase.
Vice President JD Vance has confirmed that the United States government is conducting a review to determine how Turkey might regain access to the F-35 fighter jet program, signaling a potential diplomatic thaw in one of the more persistent friction points between Washington and Ankara.
Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after it purchased the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system, a decision that triggered sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA. The exclusion represented a significant rupture in NATO relations, leaving Turkey without the advanced stealth aircraft it had originally planned to acquire and leaving a gap in NATO's southeastern flank capabilities.
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Vance's acknowledgment that a review is now underway suggests the Trump administration may be willing to revisit the conditions that led to Turkey's removal, though the specifics of what Ankara would need to demonstrate — or relinquish — to satisfy U.S. and congressional concerns remain unclear. The S-400 system remains the central sticking point, as U.S. officials have long argued that its radar could be used to collect intelligence on F-35 capabilities.
The broader geopolitical context matters here. Turkey occupies a critical strategic position within NATO, controlling the Bosphorus strait and maintaining the alliance's second-largest military. Any move to reintegrate Turkey into the F-35 supply chain or as an operator would carry significant weight for both alliance cohesion and U.S. defense industry interests. Lockheed Martin, the F-35's prime contractor, has a financial stake in expanding the program's international footprint.
Analysts will be watching closely to see whether this review produces a concrete diplomatic framework or remains a gesture of goodwill without structural change. Continue reading at Reuters.
