The US State Department has notified Congress of its approval of the sale to Türkiye of Link-16 tactical data link modernization kits for F-16 jets, sources familiar with the matter said.
Türkiye's state-owned Anadolu Agency said the potential sales package includes related equipment and engineering support to upgrade the Link-16 tactical data link system of Türkiye's existing F-16 jets to the Block Upgrade-2 level, as well as Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Systems.
Link-16 is a military radio network used by NATO and allied countries.
It provides tactical information sharing between aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ships, and ground forces.
Congress has the right to object to the State Department's determination within 15 business days for sales approvals granted to NATO members, and within 30 days for sales approvals granted to non-NATO countries.
NATO member Türkiye requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes.
The Biden administration has said it supports the sale and has been in touch for months with Congress on an informal basis to win its approval. However, it has failed so far to secure a green light.
The sale of US weapons to Türkiye became contentious after Ankara acquired Russian-made S-400 defense missile systems. The deal triggered Türkiye’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet program.
The Biden administration has told Congress it is preparing a potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye.
The latest step made by the US State Department indicates that the US Administration intends to move forward with the deal.
