Türkiye is moving on two Western defence purchases at once: a contract for 40 new F-16 Block 70 “Viper” fighters and a parallel push to buy and co‑produce the Italian-built SAMP/T long‑range air‑defence system.
F-16 Block 70 purchase: where the deal stands
Turkish officials say a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for 40 new‑build F-16 Block 70 jets from Lockheed Martin is in force after an initial payment, and Ankara has paired that order with modernization kits for 79 existing F-16s. As of early June, no firm production contract had been announced publicly. Talks continue over price, the aircraft’s configuration and Ankara’s request for access to the F-16 mission‑computer source code so it can integrate systems developed under the national ÖZGÜR upgrade programme. First deliveries are not expected before 2027.
SAMP/T talks with Italy and Eurosam: co‑production on the table
In April, Bloomberg reported that Türkiye had opened a new round of talks with Italy to buy and co‑produce the SAMP/T system. The missile and fire‑control package is made by Eurosam, the Franco‑Italian consortium formed by MBDA and Thales. Türkiye first signed a feasibility agreement with Eurosam in 2018; the project was stalled for years in part because France “held the project back,” and Italy has emerged as the willing partner supporting joint production. Turkish firms Aselsan and Roketsan are expected to work on radar integration, fire control and missile subsystems should a deal move forward.
NATO deployments and the 2026 Iran war shaped urgency
The renewed push for both F-16s and SAMP/T follows the 2026 war with Iran, when Iranian missiles fired toward Turkish territory were intercepted by NATO assets — an episode the source says exposed gaps in Türkiye’s long‑range air defence. In June, Italy deployed one of its own SAMP/T batteries to Türkiye under NATO’s Standing Defence Plan and stationed it at the 3rd Main Jet Base in Konya. That deployment is separate from the sale negotiations but reinforces the practical case for bolstering long‑range protection.
Steel Dome, indigenous programmes, and how the pieces fit
Both Western procurement files feed into Türkiye’s “Steel Dome” concept — a layered air‑defence architecture combining foreign buys and domestic systems. Alongside the SAMP/T and F-16 initiatives, Ankara is developing indigenous interceptors including the Siper and Hisar families, and sustaining the KAAN fighter programme. The F-16 order and upgrades are described as a way to preserve fighter strength until KAAN arrives. Türkiye is also separately in talks for the Eurofighter Typhoon, indicating parallel hedging across multiple platform lines.
What this means for Ankara, Aselsan, and Italy/Eurosam
- Ankara (Turkish defence planners): They are balancing immediate operational gaps revealed in 2026 with longer‑term industrial aims — securing jet deliveries after 2027 while seeking source‑code access to tailor F‑16s to the ÖZGÜR upgrade path, and pursuing co‑production on SAMP/T to localise capability.
- Aselsan and Roketsan (Turkish defence firms): Expected roles in radar integration, fire control and missile subsystems position them to deepen technical responsibility for long‑range air defence if co‑production proceeds.
- Italy and Eurosam (industrial partners): Italy’s willingness to support joint production and the June SAMP/T deployment under NATO signal political and operational alignment that could ease industrial cooperation with Ankara — though formal purchase talks remain ongoing.
The two procurement tracks remain active but unsettled: no firm F-16 production contract has been signed, and the SAMP/T purchase is still in negotiations. All of these decisions converge as NATO leaders prepare to meet in Ankara on 7–8 July at a summit framed around defence‑industrial cooperation — a backdrop that could shape whether these talks crystallise into contracts or into further rounds of bargaining.
Source: Quwa — Türkiye Pushes Two Western Arms Deals at Once: F-16 Vipers and Italian SAMP/T
