According to the Russian media report, Russia is ready for negotiations with Turkey on the possible delivery of Su-35 and Su-57 fighter aircraft, if it receives the corresponding request.
“As for Ankara’s potential plans of purchasing Russian Su-35 and Su-57 fighters, it should be noted that the Turkish side has been informed about their technical specifications in full. If there is a request from Turkey for these planes, we are ready for negotiations on this issue,” the spokesperson for Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Valeria Reshetnikova said on Friday
Turkey has expressed an interest in Russian fighter aircraft, including Sukhoi’s 4++ generation Su-35 and the new fifth-gen Su-57 stealth fighter, following Washington’s decision not to follow through with the delivery of F-35s to its NATO ally after Turkey’s refusal to scrap its S-400 air defence system deal with Russia.
Russia’s Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation said at the international aerospace show MAKS 2019 that Moscow and Ankara were considering the purchase of Russian fighter jets Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57.
After visiting MAKS-2019 in the company of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remarked he did not rule out the possibility of purchasing Su-35 and Su-57 instead of the United States’ F-35.
The Su-35 is a fourth-generation supersonic fighter jet, which is a derivative of the Su-27 plane.
The single-seat, twin-engine, super-maneuverable aircraft was actively used in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria. Russia has put 78 Su-35s into service since 2014.
In November 2018, Russia completed the delivery of 24 multi-role Su-35s to China in a deal worth around $2.5 billion. Indonesia currently has an order for 11 jets with deliveries expected later in 2019.
The Pentagon has kicked Turkey out of the F-35 fighter jet program in response to Ankara’s purchase of a Russian missile defense system. The move, which U.S. officials said was backed by all of the F-35 partners, means Turkey will not get any of the 100 planes it planned to buy—including four it has already paid for—and that all Turkish personnel associated with the program must depart the United States.
