ISRAEL PROPOSES NEW F-4 UPGRADE FOR TURKEY

ANKARA [MENL] — Israel has offered to expand its F-4 aircraft upgrade project for Turkey.

The state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries has relayed a proposal that would modernize an additional 48 F-4E Phantom II multi-role fighters for the Turkish Air Force. The IAI plan was to renew an F-4 project that already completed the upgrade of 54 F-4Es in an agreement signed in January 1997.

Israeli and Turkish sources said IAI launched negotiations with the Turkish Defense Ministry in late 2003 in wake of the completion of the Israeli upgrade project. They said IAI has offered to win Israeli government support to provide loan guarantees to launch the F-4 project.

So far, the sources said, both the Turkish Defense Ministry and the Turkish General Staff appear to favor the plan. They said the key issue was financing.