Türkiye’s F-16 procurement faces 4-5 year delay amid high demand

The delivery of new F-16 fighter jets requested by Türkiye from the United States may be delayed by 4-5 years due to the large number of orders.

On February 11, the US Congress ended its consideration of the sale of F-16 aircraft to Türkiye, after which the deal was officially approved by US lawmakers, Hürriyet reports.

Thus, negotiations will now begin between the manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the relevant institutions. It is about the delivery of 40 new F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye, but it may be somewhat delayed due to the density of orders.

Lockheed Martin reported in 2023 that the company has more than 140 orders and can only produce four F-16 fighters per month. Calculations have shown that Türkiye should receive its first new F-16 Block 70 aircraft in 2028 or 2029.