With a stroke of the United States, Turkey is happy to mention 23 billion F-16 and forget about the J-10C!
The relationship between the United States and Turkey has always been like a drama of ups and downs. Recently, this drama has ushered in a new climax. According to the global network, the U.S. State Department has approved a $23 billion arms sales plan to Turkey, which involves the export of 40 new F-16C/D Block 70 fighter jets and a comprehensive upgrade of 79 F-16s in service with the Turkish Air Force. As soon as this news came out, it immediately aroused widespread attention and heated discussions in the international community.
The arms sales agreement between the United States and Turkey is not only a business, but also a bellwether for the relations between the two countries. In this agreement, the United States sold 40 brand-new F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, which is undoubtedly a major upgrade to Turkey's air defense capabilities. At the same time, the United States will also carry out a comprehensive upgrade of the 79 F-16 fighter jets currently in service with the Turkish Air Force to further improve their performance. This series of measures will undoubtedly bring about a qualitative leap in the strength of the Turkish Air Force.
However, there is one detail in this arms sales agreement that deserves our attention. That is, although the United States sold 40 brand-new F-16 fighters to Turkey, before that, the J-10C fighters sold by China to Turkey were shelved and forgotten by the Turkish side. This has to be said to be a great irony.
Recall that when the news of China's sale of J-10C fighter jets to Turkey came out, the international community was also in an uproar. Many believe that this is China's demonstration of its military-technological prowess to Western countries, and at the same time to show Turkey its friendly attitude. However, it now seems that Turkey is clearly more inclined to choose American F-16 fighters. This is undoubtedly a major blow to China.
Of course, we cannot deny that the U.S. arms sales plan is of great significance to the improvement of Turkey's air defense capabilities. The F-16 fighter, as a fighter with excellent performance, is undoubtedly the best choice for the Turkish Air Force. However, we cannot ignore the problems behind this incident. That is, in the international arms sales market, why has the US arms sales plan always been favored by all sides, while why has China's arms sales plan always faced various difficulties and challenges?
This is a question worth pondering. In the international arms sales market, the reason why the US arms sales plan has been favored by all sides is that, on the one hand, the United States has advanced military technology strength and strong national support, and on the other hand, it is also because the United States has a greater voice and influence in international relations. In contrast, although China's arms sales plan also has great potential, its voice and influence in international relations need to be improved.
Of course, we cannot deny the impact of this incident on China's arms sales plan. However, we must not be discouraged by this. After all, the international arms sales market is a complex market, and its influencing factors are multifaceted. We believe that as long as we continue to work hard to enhance our technological strength and international discourse, China's arms sales plan will certainly gain more opportunities and recognition in the international market.