Turkey to improve its missile capabilities

The country’s Supreme Military Council will discuss the purchase of long range missiles to improve its national missile defense capabilities next week. Final approval for the plan will be made by the Defense Industry Implementation Committee by the end of the month.

Iran and Russia objected to Ankara’s decision to host an X-band radar system at a military base in Kurecik as part of a NATO-backed missile shield in the past. Iran threatened to hit NATO’s defense installations in Turkey if Iran is attacked by the United States or Israel. Russia also threatened to deploy missiles to target the missile defense system in Europe.

Turkey will acquire 13 missile batteries and 72 missiles if the purchase is approved.