{"id":16952,"date":"2018-07-02T17:23:59","date_gmt":"2018-07-02T17:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/07\/02\/no-decision-on-turkeys-future-f-35-program-pentagon-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:26:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:26:31","slug":"no-decision-on-turkeys-future-f-35-program-pentagon-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/training-sim\/2018\/07\/02\/no-decision-on-turkeys-future-f-35-program-pentagon-says\/","title":{"rendered":"With their F-35 program in limbo, Turkish pilots begin training in US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Turkish pilots and maintainers have arrived at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona to begin training on their first two F-35 fighter aircraft \u2015 but the jets themselves will remain in U.S. custody<\/a> for at least the next year, the Pentagon said Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The jets were flown by Lockheed Martin last week to the Arizona base, which is home to the F-35 international partner training program. Turkey\u2019s pilots<\/a> will likely take their first flight in them in about a month, after they complete some initial classroom and simulator training, said Air Force Lt. Col. Mike Andrews, a Pentagon spokesman. Completion of full pilot training, which is a condition of Turkey assuming custody of the jets takes between one to two years, Andrews said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Turkey may not get the jets even after training is complete. The Senate passed language in its version of the 2019 defense authorization bill that would block the jets\u2019 sale to Turkey based on U.S. concerns over Turkey\u2019s purchase of a Russian S-400 long-range air and missile defense system.<\/a> The House would still need to agree to the language in the final version of the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\t