Turkey Approaches USA For Patriot System

Turkey has recently made an informal inquiry in Washington concerning the price and detailed technical specifications of the Raytheon Systems Company Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.

Following the 1990-91 Gulf War, Turkey had expressed an interest in acquiring the Patriot but this scheme was later abandoned. There are currently US Army Patriot PAC-2 (Patriot Advanced Capability-2) SAM batteries deployed at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey protecting US aircraft monitoring the no-fly zones over Iraq. The Patriots were deployed in January following a Turkish request after Baghdad threatened to strike US bases in neighbouring countries.

The US government has told Ankara that it is willing to deliver an unknown number of Raytheon Systems Company Improved-HAWKs to Turkey as the SAM has been phased out of service with the US Army and US Marine Corps and significant quantities are now available for export. Unconfirmed reports say Turkey is interested in the purchase of about 12 Improved-HAWK batteries.

During the 18th annual American-Turkish Council meeting held in Washington last month, senior Turkish officers made an informal inquiry on the possibility of purchasing one or more Patriot batteries, said Turkish military sources.

Turkey is likely to be interested in the Patriot PAC-2 as the more advanced PAC-3, for which the prime contractor is Lockheed Martin Vought Systems, is currently undergoing field trials in the USA.

A basic PAC-2 battery, including radars and eight launchers, with 32 missiles in the ready to launch position, costs $60 million while each missile costs about $700,000. The PAC-3 system costs almost four times as much as the PAC-2, said a military source. Besides the US Army, the Patriot SAM has already been purchased by Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. The Greek contract, signed in Athens earlier this year, is for the PAC-3 with the Guidance Enhanced Missile.

Referring to Turkey's interest in joining the US-Israeli developed Arrow missile system, sources said that Turkey has not so far officially applied to join the scheme.

-­ Lale Sariibrahimoglu, JDW Correspondent, Additional reporting by Christopher F Foss