F-35 fighter jet equipment in Türkiye reportedly set for US relocation

The U.S. Department of Defense’s F-35 Joint Program Office has initiated a market survey to relocate manufacturing and testing equipment for the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter from Türkiye to the United States, according to a November 2024 report.

The plan, outlined in documents released last fall, involves dismantling, packing, and shipping specialized equipment from Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara to Northrop Grumman’s fuselage production facility in California.

The effort follows a pricing study conducted in October 2024, which evaluated the feasibility of retrieving machinery used at TAI. Contractors will manage the disassembly, transport, and final storage in the U.S., adhering to both American and international transport standards.

“The contractor will transport F-35 ST/STE in accordance with United States Government and international standards for transportation, delivery, procedures, laws, and regulations,” the report stated.

The transfer includes specialized test equipment and flight suits, which will be packed and shipped overseas.

Although Türkiye was excluded from the F-35 program years ago, some production capabilities remained in the country through late 2024, raising questions about logistics, costs, and the overall impact on the Pentagon’s aircraft supply chain.

Türkiye’s removal from F-35 program

Türkiye, a NATO ally and one of the eight original international partners in the F-35 program, was expelled from the initiative by the United States in July 2019. The decision followed concerns over Türkiye’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, which Washington viewed as a security risk to the F-35’s advanced technologies.

The U.S. government argued that the S-400 could compromise the F-35’s stealth capabilities, leading to Türkiye’s removal from the program and the imposition of sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).