Six F-35s waiting in warehouses: The move that could return them to Turkey

A new outline offers Turkey the return of its Russian S-400 systems in exchange for six F-35 jets and the lifting of sanctions, but Israeli opposition and the shift in Congress could scuttle the deal.

Six American F-35 fighter jets are stored in warehouses and designated for the Turkish Air Force, and a new outline could return them to Turkey in exchange for the sale of the Russian S-400 systems. The crisis between Ankara and Washington began in 2017 after Turkey purchased the air defense systems from Russia, leading to its removal from the F-35 program in 2019 and the imposition of sanctions in 2020. The proposed outline includes three stages: selling the S-400 systems back to Russia or a third country in the Gulf, releasing the aircraft from storage, and lifting the sanctions. However, Israeli opposition to transferring the systems to another country in the Middle East, and the expected shift of the US Congress to Democratic control by December 11, could thwart the move. Turkey is simultaneously working to expand its air capabilities by ordering Eurofighter Typhoon jets and developing the domestic KAAN fighter jet.