U.S. Weighs Disabling Turkish S-400 System to Restore F-35 Access

U.S. officials are discussing a plan that would require Türkiye to disable elements of its Russian S-400 air-defense system before any F-35 sales can proceed, a person familiar with the talks told Semafor. The proposal aims to meet congressional restrictions that bar sales if Türkiye possesses or uses the Russian equipment. The same option was reviewed last year but was not adopted at the time.

Background on the Restrictions Congress passed the rules after Türkiye acquired the S-400 system. The law requires the U.S. to certify that the country no longer possesses or operates the Russian technology. Some officials argue that rendering the system inoperable would satisfy the certification requirement.

Others have raised the possibility of transferring the equipment to a third party, though that approach has not been confirmed as active.

Congress from both parties have signaled that they interpret the law as prohibiting any continued possession of the S-400 system. The administration has not finalized a position on how to address the restriction. The White House referred questions to public comments made earlier this week. The Turkish embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.