THE TURKISH air force may equip its upgraded McDonnell Douglas F-4s with the Israeli-made Popeye television-guided air-to-ground missile. The missile has already been demonstrated to the Turkish air force.
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has recently won a $600 million contract to upgrade 54 F-4s of the Turkish air force. The package does not include weapons, but Popeye manufacturer Rafael is trying to convince Turkey to add the missile to the upgrade package as the main weapon.
Rafael exhibited at a Turkish defence show in September, and company president Yitzhak Gat has met senior Turkish defence officials and air force officers.
Source: Flight International