Trump signs defense policy bill suspending sale of F-35 jets to Turkey
US President Donald Trump has approved a defense budget law delaying the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
The $716 billion John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA) prohibits the sale of F-35 aicraft to Turkey for 90 days until the Pentagon produces a report on the risks entailed by the fellow NATO member-country’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
Turkey received its first pair of a projected 100 aircraft in June. The jets remain in the US while their Turkish pilots receive training. Delivery will not take place before September 2019.
