Global Security Newswire

The Turkish government is anticipated in July to declare its choice of contractor for a multibillion-dollar missile defense contract, the Hurriyet Daily News reported (see GSN, July 27, 2011).

U.S., Russian, Chinese, and European defense firms are all in the running to provide $4 billion worth of technology to Turkey's Long-Range Air and Missile Defense program. 

The Patriot antimissile system produced by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon is up against Rosoboronexport's S-300 and S-400 systems, Eurosam's SAMP/T Aster 30 and the China Precision Machinery Import and Export HQ-9.

"We definitely expect a decision this time," an unidentified business source told the Turkish newspaper. "The program was delayed since 2009. We should see at least a shortlist of some of the companies."

A number of Western analysts and government personnel contend the Chinese and Russian antimissile systems could not be integrated into NATO's evolving European ballistic missile shield. Were a Chinese or Russian contractor selected, Turkey might unintentionally supply the company's home nation with a path for obtaining secret NATO data, which could undermine the military bloc's defense planning.

Ankara has said these worries do not merit taking the Russian and Chinese firms out of contention.

NATO's defense goals call for member nations' antimissile programs to be enhanced and linked up as a key component of a developing European shield against feared ballistic missile strikes from the Middle East (Ümit Enginsoy, Hurriyet Daily News, June 9).