The Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation confirmed that they had started delivery of the S-400 missile system to Turkey. The first parts of the air defense system were flown into a military base near Ankara with the rest of the shipments proceeding as planned. Though Turkey asserts that it needs the weapons system to secure its border with Syria and Iraq, the United States worries that the S-400 is incompatible with NATO systems and threatens the F-35 fighter jets used by Washington and its allies. The Trump administration will likely impose sanctions and could potentially expel Turkey from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The missile delivery comes at a time of strained US-Turkey relations while the two countries disagree over the handling of the Syrian civil war among other issues.
