Turkey advances TFX fighter project, buy more F-35s, CH-47s

Turkey has decided to advance its TFX indigenous fighter programme, commit to four more F-35s, and to order five additional CH-47s
However, the country has postponed making a final decision on its controversial USD4 billion T-Loramids SAM programme for a further six months
Turkey will push ahead with its indigenous Turkish Fighter Experimental (TFX) project, the country's most senior defence procurement body decided on 7 January.
Speaking following the meeting, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who chairs the EC, said that "TFX with twin engines will be a completely indigenous Turkish fighter, and not a copy of any existing fighter. In four years' time the latest the preliminary design phase of the project will be completed. I can proudly say to the Turkish public that our target is to produce the first prototype of TFX in 2023."
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), in co-operation with Saab, had previously completed the conceptual design work of TFX at a cost of around USD20 million. Though Davutoglu stated TFX will be an entirely indigenous design, a request for proposal (RfP) is expected to be released for foreign companies to take part in the fighter's preliminary design work.
janes