US State Dept. greenlights sale to Türkiye of F-16 jet Link-16 modernization kits

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 Monday.

In a statement, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency confirmed that the State Department has made a determination approving the possible sale to Türkiye of defense articles and services to support upgrading its current fleet of F-16 aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $259 million.

"The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today," said the statement.

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.

The Government of Türkiye has requested to buy defense articles and services to support its current fleet of F-16 aircraft, to include software upgrades of the Operational Flight Program (OFP) avionics with the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS) capability; hardware modifications to enable integration of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Block Upgrade II (MIDS BU II), procured separately; hardware and software upgrades to include aircraft major modification; both classified and unclassified software and software support; integration and test support; support equipment; training and training equipment; spare and repair parts; publications and technical documentation; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.

Congress has the right to object to the State Department's determination within 15 business days for sales approvals granted to NATO members, including Türkiye, a member of the alliance for over 70 years.

Link-16 is a military radio network, also known as a tactical data link (TDL), used by NATO and allied countries.

It provides tactical information sharing between aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ships and ground forces.

Ankara and Washington last year negotiated the sale of 40 new F-16 jets and 79 modernization kits, and the process is currently awaiting the approval of the US Congress.