Turkey turns to Russia for S-400 purchase | IHS Jane's 360

Turkish interest in Russian missiles re-emerged after Ankara and Moscow decided to repair their ties following the Turkish coup attempt in July 2016. Ties had been heavily strained after Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian Su-24 on the Turkey-Syria border area in late 2015.

In November 2015 Turkey had cancelled its USD4 billion T-Loramids long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system tender, for which China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp (CPMIEC) was downselected in 2013 as the preferred provider.

Although Turkey had downselected China, talks continued with second-placed French-Italian partnership Eurosam, offering the SAMP/T system, and also the third-placed contender, a Raytheon/Lockheed Martin partnership offering the Patriot system.

CPMIEC's selection had drawn considerable criticism from the United States and Turkey's NATO allies over the interoperability and security issues of operating a Chinese system. Turkey finally cancelled the project in November 2015.

Speaking to Jane's , western defence sources said that Turkey's decision to hold talks with Russia came as a disappointment because Ankara had not released an open request for proposal for its plans to buy some missiles directly.

"Turkey should have opened it into a competition even in a direct purchase. In my opinion Turkey has been putting pressure on other potential candidates to convince them to come up with more technology transfer even if it is going to be a direct purchase," one source said. "Like the Chinese systems, with Russian S-400s Turkey will face interoperability problems with NATO."

It is believed that Turkey's off-the-shelf purchase would include buying 2-4 fire units, provided the supplier agreed to a generous offset package that will enable Turkey to develop its own indigenous system.