Turkey keeps talking about building an S-500 system with Russia

May 19, 2019 12:02

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey had finalized it’s S-400 deal with Russia and would not turn back from acquiring the advanced system. In comments made Saturday the Turkish leader also hinted at producing an “S-500” system jointly with Russia. This would be a major new element of the emerging Turkish-Russian alliance and another sign of Ankara’s drift away from the US and NATO.

Turkey has mentioned the mysterious S-500 system before. In June 2018 Press TV in Iran noted that Erdogan had offered to jointly produce a “new generation S-500 high-altitude missile defense system” with Russia. Anadolu news noted in March that such a system was being explored, noting that it “is considered more advanced.”

 

Turkey will also jointly produce S-500 defence systems with Russia – President Erdogan

— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) May 18, 2019
 

Russia’s TASS news agency says that Russian officers have been training to use the S-500 system which is supposed to be “the backbone of Russia’s integrated air defense and missile defense system.” The report noted that according to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu the S-500 is equipped with missiles that can target planes, dones and ballistic missiles. But TASS oddly relies on western media reports to assert that it can hit distances of 481 km. It should be ready by 2020. The system is still undergoing trials. TASS has also reported that Turkey wanted to produce the system in cooperation with Russia.

The decision by Turkey to further deepen its defense cooperation with Russia will be another hurdle to US-Turkey relations. The S-400 deal has already caused a major crises and reports that Turkey might help produce the S-500 illustrates how close Ankara and Moscow are. Previously Turkey had played a role in developing the US F-35 fighter jet, but the acquisition of the S-400 has raised concerns in Washington. Yet Erdogan has said that Turkey will receive the F-35 eventually.