Turkey downgrades tank program in favor of missile defense

ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey plans to decrease the size of its huge project to coproduce 1,000 main battle tanks and use the savings to fund anti-missile defense.

The decision is expected to anger the United States, which was expecting to win the $5 billion tank project. General Dynamics, with its M1A2, is regarded as the frontrunner in the competition.

Turkish sources said the issue will be discussed in Washington with U.S. defense officials early next month. They said the military's threat to scale back the tank project was taken to protest the Pentagon's refusal to allow Ankara to participate in the Israeli-U.S. Arrow anti-missile defense program.

The Turkish Daily News on Friday said the military has shelved plans to both coproduce a main battle tank and modernize older vehicles. The decision is expected to benefit Israel, which seeks the upgrade program of the M-60 tank.

Again, the United States is expected to intervene in that decision as well. The Pentagon obtained an Israeli commitment to include General Dynamics in any upgrade of the M-60 in exchange for Israeli involvement in any production of the M1A2 to Turkey.

The newspaper, however, said Turkey's military is revising its concept of warfare and wants to focus on anti-missile defense. A Turkish military source was quoted as saying that electronic warfare is regarded as a priority in any review of strategy.