The idea of U.S. President Donald Trump selling F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey has angered his main ally in the Middle East, Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu warned that selling the latest American aircraft "does not make Turkey a friendly country ..."
The F-35s cannot be considered just an attack aircraft. They are a complete combat platform that integrates radar and sensor information into a single operational picture and operates in a networked manner, exchanging data with aircraft, ships, and air defense systems in real-time. They also excel in their stealth capabilities, making them difficult to detect by conventional air defense systems, in addition to their enormous electronic jamming and deception capabilities that make them a key asset in any cyber warfare.
Going back to the 1990s. The "F-35 Joint Strike Fighter" program was launched at that time to develop a multirole fighter to serve the U.S. military and allied nations, replacing several types of aircraft in a unified platform. Lockheed Martin and Boeing competed for the project, with Martin’s F-35 model winning over the X-32 due to its superior ability for short take-offs and vertical landings. The aircraft was thereafter named "F-35 Lightning II," and the F-35A variant made its first flight on December 15, 2006.
The entry of such fighters provides Turkey with a qualitative leap even before the completion of its domestic project, knowing that the Turkish Air Force currently relies on advanced F-16 fighters. Therefore, Turkey's possession of the American fifth-generation fighter solidifies its role as a major air power within NATO and increases the likelihood of its participation in joint operations of alliance nations.
Israeli fears regarding the F-35s are not only related to the number of aircraft but also stem from the idea of a major regional power in the Middle East potentially possessing stealth capabilities similar to those enjoyed by Israel, which would certainly affect its qualitative superiority in the region. Netanyahu confirmed this, according to comments made to CNN: "I directly urged Trump not to sell the fighters to Turkey because that would destroy the balance of power in the Middle East." It is worth noting that tensions have intensified recently between Ankara and Tel Aviv due to each country's regional ambitions and strategic goals, especially after the U.S.-Iran war entered its negotiating phase... Will Trump betray his ally?