¿U.S. to sell Patriot missile systems to Turkey?

The Ankara office director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, told Arab News he believes the decision from the U.S. State Department to dangle the offer of the Patriot system is aimed to make Turkey drop the purchase of the S-400: If Ankara forges ahead with purchasing the Russian alternative, the Patriot offer would allow the U.S. to dismiss Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program.

The Patriot and S-400 are competing systems, and Washington has firmly opposed to Turkey’s planned acquisition of Russian-made systems that are designed to target American-made military weapons. In words of Nicholas Danforth, a senior policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Security Project, “The real breakthrough would only be if Turkey abandoned its plans to buy the S-400s. For the Patriot sale to move forward, Turkish officials must have to convince Washington they are not going to buy the S-400s.”

Purchase of Patriot missiles will not affect S-400 deal

Turkey’s possible purchase of US-made Patriot missile systems will not impact its deal to buy Russian S-400 systems, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told a news conference on Monday 24th December: “The deal on S-400 is closed. The first systems will be supplied in October 2019. The offer on Patriot will change nothing because we don’t consider them as alternatives to one another. We can have both systems,” he was quoted as saying by Russian news agency TASS. 

US State Department Backs Patriot Missile Sale

On December 18, the U.S. State Department announced its proposal to Congress for a $3.5 billion Patriot system sale to Turkey.

The DSCA press release reports that Turkey plans to procure 80 Patriot MIM-104E GEM (Guidance Enhanced Missiles) and 60 PAC-3 MSE (Missile Segment Enhancement) missiles.

The package also includes four AN/MPQ-65 Radar Sets, as well as other launching stations and control systems. According to an unnamed State Department spokesperson, the sale will allow “the Turkish military to guard against hostile aggression and shield NATO allies.”

This announcement follows several years of increasing tensions between the United States and Turkey under President Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey would not allow US to inspect Russian S-400

A senior Turkish official says Ankara would not provide the United States with the opportunity to study the advanced Russian-built S-400 air defense missile system, regardless of strong opposition from Washington and warnings that Turkey should not buy the anti-aircraft platform.

(Read more...)

S-400 Triumf: Russia and Turkey signed a loan agreement

"Earlier in the day, Russia and Turkey have signed a loan agreement on Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 systems" Haberturk TV said last Friday.

According to the Hurriyet daily, Ankara will pay part of the sum from its own funds and will contract a Russian loan for the rest. Notably, the loan will be in rubles.

On September 12, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara had signed an agreement with Moscow on purchase of S-400 systems, with an advance payment already made.

On November 2, Director General of Russia’s Rostec Corporation Sergei Chemezov told TASS that the contract with Turkey on the sales of S-400 Triumf systems exceeded two billion US dollars.

Supplies of these systems are expected to begin within two years. Russia’s S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007.

It is designed to destroy aircrafts, ballistic and cruise missiles, including medium-range missiles, and surface targets. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of 400 kilometers and at an altitude of up to 30 kilometers.

Washington keeps persuading Turkey not to buy air and missile defense systems from Russia, US Department of Defense Spokesperson Johnny Michael told TASS: "We have relayed our concerns to Turkish officials regarding the purchase of the S-400," the Pentagon spokesman said. "A NATO interoperable missile defense system remains the best option to defend Turkey from the full range of threats in its region. We have an open dialogue on this issue, and have emphasized the importance of maintaining NATO interoperability on any major defense systems procurements."

Europe, the old chessboard

Further deployment of America’s global anti-ballistic missile defense poses a threat to the US and those European countries that agreed to host it, because it builds up a dangerous illusion of invincibility, Putin said in the state of the nation address.

The European Phased Adaptive Approach, centerpiece of the US missile defense shield in Europe, implies deployment of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, all of which are fitted with the Aegis weapon and radar system, interceptor batteries in Poland and Romania, radar in Turkey, and a command center at Ramstein, Germany, a US Air Force base. 

“This constitutes a threat not only to the security of Russia, but to the whole world, in view of the possible destabilization of the strategic balance of powers. I believe this is dangerous for the US itself, as it creates a dangerous illusion of invulnerability and reinforces the tendency of unilateral, often ill-considered decisions and additional risks,” Putin said.

The missile shield in Central Eastern Europe became a reality

On 28 October, work started at the former airbase at Deveselu in southern Romania on installing elements of the US missile defence system, specifically an Aegis system with SM-3 interceptors.

This means that the missile defence project is being implemented on schedule. From the Russian perspective, the start of work on the missile shield in Central Europe represents a failure of its policy of preventing the deployment of strategic US military facilities within the former Soviet sphere of influence.

However, it is unlikely that Moscow will soften its position and become more flexible with regard to the planned location of anti-missile launchers in Poland. 

The Shield in Central Europe

After a pause in implementing the original plan for the missile defence system during the presidency of George W Bush in 2009, which assumed the construction of a global system capable of capturing and neutralising all categories of ballistic missiles, the Obama administration has put forward a new plan for a shield for the region.

This provides for the suspension (at least until 2020) of the so-called fourth phase of the system, involving the deployment of missiles in Europe which could neutralise intercontinental ballistic missiles, while implementing the so-called third phase, based on installing Aegis anti-missile launchers in Poland and Romania, and on activating a radar station in Turkey (radar stations in the Czech Republic were also a proposed element of the Bush plan).

Negotiations are in progress on constructing a future missile defence system for NATO based on elements of the American shield in Europe, a plan which was approved at the NATO summit in Chicago in 2012.

Romania: ¿An aircraft carrier for the US?

The Deveselu base represents the second stage of the project to create a regional anti-missile shield (the first included the launch of the radar system in Turkey, and the deployment in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea of US Navy ships with Aegis systems).

The anti-missile launchers (3 SM-3 batteries, with a total of 24 missiles) is expected to be operational by the end of 2015. The third stage involves installing the same system in Poland by the end of 2018.

¿Failure of Russian security policy?

Russia has always contested the deployment of elements of a missile defence system within the former Soviet sphere of influence.

It has stated that the anti-missile programme poses a threat to its national security, although to a substantial degree its opposition actually derives from geopolitical causes. Russia made its cooperation with the United States and NATO on the missile defence system conditional on having the right of joint decision over what form the system takes (either by a joint decision-making process, or by imposing technical parameters that limit the system’s activity), as well as international legal guarantees that the system will not undermine Russia’s nuclear potential.

Russia has also put forward its own initiatives, including so-called sectoral missile defence, in which the Russian army would take responsibility for the defence of NATO’s eastern region. So far, Russia’s policy to prevent the deployment of the missile shield in Central Europe has been limited to diplomatic activity and periodic threats to take military measures (mainly by deploying Iskander missiles, which can destroy anti-missile installations, in the Kaliningrad region).  The military projects Russia has initiated over the last few months (such as the activation of the radar station in the Kaliningrad region, the deployment of Russian combat aircraft in Belarus, and the delivery of more S-300 missiles) are part of the accepted trend of modernising its armed forces, and have no direct connection with the American system.

Retaliatory measures by Russia (such as the deployment of Iskanders in the Kaliningrad region, possibly in Belarus, or least likely of all in Transnistria) will be postponed, and will ultimately depend on whether the US anti-missile systems are deployed in Poland. It must be regarded as doubtful that Moscow would treat the installation of the SM-3 rocket system in Romania as a signal to moderate its position (as NATO expects), or to show greater flexibility regarding NATO’s deployment of shield elements in Poland, especially as it regards a US military presence on its borders as one of the main threats to its security. An agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program, as was hoped for after the election of that country’s new president, would undoubtedly serve as an argument against the US deploying its anti-missile units in Poland.

(Read more)

Turkey to sign missile agreement with China in late 2013

An agreement on building long-range missiles will be signed with China in late 2013, the Turkish Defense Industry Committee said today. The Chinese company's project which envisages manufacturing FD-2000 missiles technically leaves the Russian, American and French-Italian companies projects behind. Earlier it was reported that on September 2013 at a meeting of the Turkish Defence Industry Executive Committee it was announced that the Chinese CPMIEC company won the tender for the creation of long range missiles in Turkey. It was also reported that these missiles will be created by the Chinese company in cooperation with Turkish companies. Moreover, it is reported that the U.S. authorities informed Turkey of their concerns about the country's intentions to cooperate with China in the creation of missile defence systems. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the priority for Turkey is to create the missiles in his own country.

Congress Urges Hagel, U.S. to Block Turkey-China Anti-Missile Deal

Republican lawmakers in both chambers are urging the Obama administration to use diplomatic and military levers to pressure Turkey into abandoning its plans to purchase a long-range missile-defense system from China.

Critics of the possible deal, announced last month, are concerned it could endanger the integrity of NATO's evolving ballistic missile shield as China might seek to use the system it sells to Turkey to illicitly extract data from the alliance's inter-connected missile defense network.

Because of this fear, opponents argue Ankara should not be permitted to connect the FD-2000 antimissile system it is interested in purchasing from a Chinese company with the broader alliance missile shield. There are also doubts that the Chinese technology could be made compatible with other NATO antimissile assets. "We strongly urge you to exert all available diplomatic pressure to prevent Turkish procurement of a [China Precision Military Import and Export Corp.] missile defense system and ensure NATO will never allow such a system to be integrated into NATO's security architecture," say a group of GOP senators in a letter drafted for submission, possibly on Friday, to Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Turkey, as a NATO member, is participating in the alliance plan to build a ballistic-missile shield that would cover all NATO territory. While the United States is supplying most of the critical assets for the shield, other member states are expected to augment it by enhancing and inter-connecting their own domestic antimissile capabilities. Ankara maintains it has the sole right to decide which missile-defense system to buy. "It is definitely, it’s going to be national capability first and foremost, and it’s going to be a national decision," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Levent Gumrukcu was quoted by Voice of America as saying this week. Ankara insists the FD-2000 would be fully interoperable with other NATO antimissile assets and says it has made this a requirement of any deal with the CPMIEC firm.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Monday said it was critical that all member states’ national missile defenses be inter-operable with one another. Of course, the FD-2000 "will not be inter-operable with NATO systems or collective defense capabilities." but even if the FD-2000 could be integrated with NATO assets, there are still the worries in Congress that the software would be compromised by digital back-doors created by Chinese developers interested on gaining access to alliance data. "Since Turkey is fully integrated into NATO’s missile defense network, such as the NATO Air Defense Ground Environment, we are concerned about the risk of third-country access to NATO and U.S. classified data and technology," reads the senators’ letter to Hagel and Kerry.

The Turkish government said it chose the Chinese system over other antimissile systems offered for sale by U.S., European and Russian manufacturers because at $3.4 billion it is considerably less-expensive and potentially could be co-produced with Turkey, allowing for technology transfer.

Turkey: The Chinese Headache

NATO member states are strongly opposed to Turkey’s decision to purchase a Chinese-built missile defense system, with one NATO official calling the missile system a “virus,” according to a report in the Turkish newspaper, the Hurriyet Daily News.

An unnamed NATO ambassador in Ankara, was even blunter, telling Hurriyet: “I have no idea why the Turks do not see the simple fact that the alliance’s security threat perception in the next 20 years is based on China. Air and missile defense will be the top defense issue in the foreseeable future, with China being under the magnifier.”

The Hurriyet article suggests that the main concern among NATO officials with Ankara’s purchase of the HQ-9 missile system is the lack of interoperability. In particular, the NATO officials interviewed expressed concern about integrating the HQ-9 with NATO’s Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) system, which operates on “Mode 5,” a code that enables the system to distinguish between friendly and adversary aircraft.

Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, expressed concerns with the fact that the Chinese company involved in the deal has repeatedly been sanctioned by the U.S. for its deals with countries like Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. “The main concern here was that the Turkish government was having contract discussions with a U.S.-sanctioned company for a missile defense system that was not operable with NATO systems,” Psaki said.

China: HQ-9 missile spotted

A series of satellite photos have captured a glimpse of China's HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system at a missile range in Xianyang in northwest China's Shaanxi province, according to the Janes Defense Weekly.

The photos of the Chinese air defense missile with its launcher and radar system were taken on Aug. 29 when a satellite flew over Sanyuan county in Xianyang. The HQ-9 missile is designed based on the Russian-built SA-10, and currently serves the ground and naval forces of the People's Liberation Army.

According to Janes Defense Weekly, the HQ-9's radar system differs from a Russian S-300 air defense missile in the tractor that is uses. The tractor of HQ-9's radar system is one meter shorter than the tractor of the Russian 64N6E radar. Meanwhile, Turkey announced that it would purchase the FD-2000, the export version of HQ-9 from China to serve as its air force's medium-range air defense missile. However, both the US and NATO have applied enormous pressure on Turkey over the missile deal, saying that the system would not be compatible with those of Turkey's other NATO allies.

NATO: Concern about Chinese FD-2000 for Turkey

The head of NATO expressed concern on Monday 7th over Turkey’s decision to co-produce a missile defense system with a Chinese firm, saying he expected Ankara to choose a system that was compatible with those of other allies.

Turkey has said it is likely to sign a $3.4 billion missile defense deal with a Chinese firm that is subject to U.S. sanctions, although its decision is not yet final. The United States has expressed serious concerns to Turkey, saying the Chinese missile defense system would not work with NATO systems.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry said last month it favored China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp’s (CPMIEC) FD-2000 missile defense system over more expensive rival systems from Russian, U.S. and European firms. Some Western defense analysts have said they were surprised by Turkey’s decision, having expected the contract to go to Raytheon Co, a U.S. company that builds the Patriot missile, or the Franco-Italian Eurosam SAMP/T.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands each sent two Patriot batteries to southeastern Turkey this year after Ankara asked NATO to strengthen its defenses against possible missile attack from Syria.

Turkey put his eyes in China

Turkey said today in an official statement that it has "decided to begin talks with the CPMIEC company of the People's Republic of China for the joint production of the systems and its missiles in Turkey." Turkey wants to build its own long-range air defense and anti-missile architecture to counter both enemy aircraft and missiles. In January, NATO began deploying Patriot missile system batteries to help protect Turkey from any spillover of the conflict in neighboring Syria. The Patriot missiles, effective against aircraft and short-range missiles, were provided by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands.

Syria: U.S. U.K. and France entering the stage

UK, US and France military planners are drawing up potential targets for missile strikes on Syria amid growing certainty that the Assad regime was behind chemical weapons attacks which killed hundreds of civilians last week.

While there has been no decision on the type of action, military staff in London and Washington are compiling a list of targets among a range of "and/or" options:

• Arming the rebels
• Creating a safe haven
• Establishment of a no-fly zone
• Surgical cruise missile strikes against chemical weapons facilities (Sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles are the most likely option)

Below are details of U.S., French and British forces in the region that could be involved in case of any attack.

United States

 
• The U.S. Navy has increased its number of cruise missile-carrying destroyers in the Mediterranean to four from three by delaying the return to the United States of the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Mahan.

 
• The aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman, by far the most powerful warship in the region, left the Mediterranean last weekend, passing through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea.

 
• As well as the strike aircraft carried by the Truman, several of her escort ships are also capable of firing Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.

 
• The United States has also had F-16 jets in Jordan, where they remained after a major military exercise this year at the request of the Jordanian government.

 
• Also has a major air base at Incirlik in Turkey that could easily house multiple aircraft as part of a wider military campaign.

United Kingdom

 
• Britain would likely be dependent on its cruise missile-carrying Trafalgar and Astute class attack submarines if it wished to join in any U.S.-led campaign. 

 
• Britain does not currently have any combat aircraft in the region, although they could theoretically operate from UK sovereign bases in Cyprus providing the local government agreed.

France

 

• The French nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is operational and remains for now in the Mediterranean port of Toulon.

 

• Also has Rafale and Mirage jets based in the United Arab Emirates that could potentially reach Syria.

Turkey's sat-launcher plans raise concerns

Ankara'swestern allies worry that the Turks intend to use their own launching pad to fire the long-range missiles they hope to build in the medium- to long-run, as DefenseNews.com website reports. Turkey's procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), in early July signed a contract with the country's national missile manufacturer, Roketsan, to build the Turkish Satellite Launching System (UFS) for pre-conceptual design work. In 2011, Turkey announced plans to develop a missile with a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers, not revealing whether it would be ballistic or cruise. Although little information about the program has been released, a Turkish cabinet minister in January confirmed that Turkey possesses capabilities to produce a missile with a range of 800 kilometers. (Read more)

Jordan seeks to deploy Patriot missiles

 

Jordan, which shares borders with war-torn Syria, said on Sunday it is in talks with “friendly countries” to deploy Patriot missiles on its territory after a similar move by Turkey. “Jordan wishes to deploy Patriot missile batteries in order to boost its defence capabilities and help protect the country,” Information Minister Mohammad Momani told a news conference.

Read more: http://www.defencetalk.com/jordan-seeks-to-deploy-patriot-missiles-minister-47924/#ixzz2UdAPbPH6