US Tries to Sell Patriot System to Turkey so Ankara won’t Buy Russian S-400s

Concerned at the intelligence windfall that could result from Turkey purchasing both the new F-35 stealth fighter jet and the Russian S-400 anti-missile defense system, the United States is reportedly trying to sell Ankara the US-made Patriot system instead. The activity is playing out at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom. NATO nations typically use the same equipment for reasons of consistency, coordination and substitution. Inserting the Russian-made S-400 would be destabilizing on several scores but would also pose the risk of creating an intelligence leak if the Turks obtain the world’s latest jet fighter.