Share This Article
As the time approaches for the integration of the amphibious attack ship TCG Anadolu (L400) in the Turkish navy, the need to arm the so-called “aircraft carrier” with jet fighters has begun to be expressed more and more in Turkey.
The United States expelled Turkey from the F-35 program because of the purchase of the S-400s, and the aircraft already produced for Turkey were given to the US Air Force.
However, Turkey had already started manufacturing the TCG Anadolu for the F35 “B” version, ie the naval version of the F-35, which is suitable for vertical take-off and landing.
The cancellation of the F-35s has caused a great deal of controversy on the other side of the Aegean over which aircraft will eventually equip this ship.
The British Harriers, which have the ability to land and take off vertically, have been reported as a possible supply by Turkish analysts, but Turkey has not yet made any official statement.
Turkish Admiral Jihad Yaici recently spoke on the Defense Turk website, raising the issue of “mini” aircraft carriers.
Yaiji said that “it is vital that Turkey procures Italian Harriers. “Harriers will be modernized to work with Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci, which will be developed at TCG Anadolu.”
The only problem the admiral forgot was that any harrier export to Turkey, either from Britain or Italy, requires an export license from the United States, which is very difficult to happen.
