Turkey was reportedly less interested in buying more batches of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems during the Ukraine war. A senior Turkish defense industry official recently said that Ankara may not need the Russian S-400 system to protect itself and will prioritize domestically produced technology over Russian systems.
While the Turkish manufacturer’s boast may sound premature, it is an analysis based on reality. Turkey has made significant progress in its domestic air defense industry, giving Ankara the confidence to say no to Russian systems.
Turkish defense manufacturers said that Ankara is working hard to develop its own missile defense system, “We are making air defense systems, we don’t need S-300, S-400. We are eliminating the need for them, this is our duty.”
Turkey’s defense industry is currently in the production phase from short-range missile systems to long-range missile systems. The air defense system has always been one of the key points of the Turkish defense industry plan. So far, Turkey has developed and put into use several air defense early warning radars and command and control systems, including ERALP long-range air defense radar, AIR low-altitude air defense radar, HERIKKS air defense command and control system, Korkut self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system, Sungur portable anti-aircraft missile, Hisar anti-aircraft missile system and Siper long-range air defense system.
The development of the Siper long-range air defense system in particular has given Turkish industry officials the confidence to claim that they do not need the Russian system. The Siper long-range air defense system can strike targets at a range of 100 kilometers and is often compared to Turkey’s S-400. Turkey successfully tested the Siper long-range air defense system in August 2022. According to Turkish media reports, the system is expected to be put into use by the end of 2023, but some military experts said that the service of Siper is just “a long process of trial and error”. Not yet a direct competitor to the S-400, but likely to become a viable alternative in the near future.
At the same time, Turkey also noticed the lack of “effectiveness” of the S-400 in defending Ukraine’s air strikes on Russian facilities, which made Turkey believe that the original effect and performance of the S-400 were deliberately exaggerated.
On the other hand, the security environment in which Turkey agreed to buy the Russian system in 2017 has also changed. At that time, the Turkish leadership urgently needed to have anti-access and area denial capabilities in northern Syria to protect the freedom of movement of the Turkish military.
Turkey has also complained for years about its inability to obtain defense equipment from Western partners. The United States imposed sanctions on Turkey after Turkey obtained S-400 missiles from Russia and banned it from developing and receiving the F-35 stealth fighter jet. More recently, the tide has turned, with the White House backing the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, arguing that the deal is important to NATO interoperability and U.S. interests. According to reports, Turkey has stored the S-400 missile system received in 2019 in a storage facility. Turkey is worried about deepening differences with the United States and facing the risk of further sanctions.
Experts said that the Russia-Ukraine war has greatly redefined Turkey’s geopolitical and diplomatic landscape. The Ukraine war reminded Ankara of the threat of Russia and the value of membership in NATO. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also seeking to rely on its own military An increasingly assertive foreign policy of power.
Source : 163.com
