The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) consortium, led by US defense giant Lockheed Martin, has proposed that Türkiye participate in manufacturing components for more than 3,000 of the advanced combat aircraft, according to sources cited in March 2006.
Officials at TUSAS Aerospace Industries (TAI) said a deal with the Turkish Defense Industry Undersecretariat, valued at 3.5 billion USD, would significantly strengthen the domestic defense sector. TAI, which has been expanding its composite-technology capabilities, stood to benefit especially from such an agreement.
The nine-nation JSF consortium includes Türkiye alongside the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Australia, and Canada. Upon completion, the resulting aircraft, the F-35, is expected to rank as the most capable single-engine strike platform in service.
TAI was founded on 15 May 1984 under Turkish commercial and foreign-investment law. The company handles aerospace design, development, manufacturing, systems integration, modernization, and after-sales support, operating a modern facility equipped for work ranging from individual parts fabrication through final assembly, flight testing, and delivery.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in March 2006, in its own words.