Turkey procured S-400 Triumf (NATO code: SA-21 Growler) air defence system from Russia and then, the future of F-35 Lightning II has become a conundrum future for the Turkish Air Force.
Turkish Armed Forces acquired an S-400 system in line of the requirement for the high altitude air defence system. Then, the Washington administration stopped the F-35 deliveries and suspended the presence of Turkey in the program with these missile systems pose a threat to critical technologies, excuse. It seems that the United States has developed a solution for these risks.
F-35A Lightning IIs from the United States Air Force (USAF) were commissioned in Syria last week. Within the scope of the Operation Inherent Resolve, which was conducted against ISIS, the platforms carried out patrols around the Al Tanf region in the south of the country. The site in question is about 330 km far from Hmeymim Air Base where Russia deploys S-400 air defence systems. Although it is determined that the aircraft flew within the radar coverage range of the Russian systems are working with Luneberg radar reflectors, it is not known whether the systems are operational during the flight.
It is known that the users of the F-35 Lightning II are constantly using radar reflector equipment in order not to measure the radar cross-sectional area of the platforms.
