U.S. warns Turkey not to buy S-400 system from Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States warned Turkey against moving ahead with plans to buy a sophisticated Russian missile defence system that the Pentagon believes would threaten its advanced F-35 fighter aircraft, Al Jazeera reports.

The State Department made the remarks on a day when the head of US European Command spoke to politicians on Capitol Hill and said Turkey should reconsider its plan to buy the S-400 from Russia this year.

"We've clearly warned Turkey that its potential acquisition of the S-400 will result in a reassessment of Turkey's participation in the F-35 programme, and risk other potential future arms transfers to Turkey," said deputy spokesman Robert Palladino on Tuesday.

The US agreed to sell 100 of its latest fifth-generation F-35 fighters to Turkey and has so far delivered two of the aircraft. But Congress last year ordered a delay in future deliveries.

NATO nations - particularly the US - view Turkey's purchase of the Russian-made equipment with suspicion. Ankara says it needs alternative missile defences to counter regional threats.

Russia's S-400 is a massive upgrade to the S-300 missile defence system, its predecessor. Because of its capabilities, countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India and Qatar have said they want to buy the S-400.