ISRAEL AND TURKEY are in the final stages of negotiations covering the $580 million upgrade of 54 Turkish air force McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms.
The conclusion of the deal had been hampered by a downturn in the Turkish economy and by prolonged discussions over the amount of upgrade work to be carried out by Turkish industry.
Israel has agreed to provide assistance to the Turkish Government to help in financing the programme. According to the proposed contract, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) will be the prime contractor, with most of the leading Israeli defence companies involved as subcontractors.
The IAI proposal is based on the Phantom 2000 package used to upgrade Israeli air force F-4s and include the Norden multi-mode radar.
Source: Flight International
