Turkey Could Face U.S. Sanctions Over China Deal

Turkey Could Face U.S. Sanctions Over China Deal

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10570317_s featureMany Turkish defense companies that would act as subcontractors on a $3.44 billion air defense contract with a Chinese company, may face U.S. sanctions because the Chinese company is on an american blacklist.

A senior U.S. diplomat in Ankara told Defense News that serious consequences could await Turkish companies involved in the program to build Turkey’s first long-range air and anti-missile system if China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp. (CPMIEC) wins the competition. “Turkish entities to be involved in this program in partnership with CPMIEC would be denied access to any use of US technology or equipment in relation to this program,” the diplomat said. “No US equipment would ever be sold or authorized to be used anywhere in the program.”

A Feb. 5 public notice by the US State Department blacklists 13 companies for breach of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act, including CPMIEC.

Turkey’s top body overseeing procurement announced Sept. 26 that it selected CPMIEC to build the country’s first long-range air defense architecture, sparking a major dispute over whether the Chinese-built system could be integrated with the NATO air defense assets stationed in Turkey.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

The Chinese contender defeated a US partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, offering the Patriot air defense system; Russia’s Rosoboronexport, marketing the S-300; and the Italian-French consortium Eurosam, maker of the SAMP/T Aster 30. A Turkish procurement official downplayed the risk.

The Turkish program, dubbed T-LORAMIDS, consists of radar, launcher and intercept missiles. It has been designed to counter both enemy aircraft and missiles. Turkey has no long-range air defense systems.

About half of Turkey’s network-based air defense (radars) has been paid for by NATO. They are part of the NATO Air Defense Ground Environment. Without NATO’s consent it will be impossible for Turkey to make the planned Chinese system interoperable with these assets, some analysts said.

To defend against missile threats, Turkey needs satellite and dedicated ballistic missile detection and tracking radar such as the NATO radar deployed last year in Kurecik, in southeastern Turkey.

For the anti-aircraft component, Turkey needs an overall picture for data fusion. The Patriot system, for instance, can detect threats with its own radar. So does the Chinese system. But without integrating into a full air picture, the Chinese system could not work efficiently, analysts said.