The U.S. Department of Defense plans to produce metal parts for 155 mm shells with Turkish subcontractors at ammunition facilities in the U.S. state of Texas by the end of 2025, the Pentagon's spokesperson said Thursday.
"U.S. Army is building three 155 mm projectile metal parts lines in Texas," Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen said at the news conference in response to a question passed by Anadolu Agency (AA), explaining the scope of cooperation between Türkiye and the U.S. in the facility.
He added that "the contract for construction, installation and follow-on production was awarded to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems," with Turkish industry as subcontractors.
Jurgensen announced plans to operationalize "all three lines by 2025," aiming to increase the Pentagon's critical ammunition production by "30,000 projectile shell bodies per month."
He stressed the importance of collaborating with "allies and partners" to develop a "global defense industrial base" that aligns with "national security objectives."
U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Jeff Flake highlighted earlier this month the importance of a "strong relationship with Türkiye" in the U.S. defense supply chain and NATO's strength, stating it as "America's interest," according to Deseret News.
In an op-ed article for the publication, the envoy pointed out Türkiye's role in international affairs and how its support for Ukraine's sovereignty, its sale of drones to Ukraine and Türkiye's limiting military vessels crossing through its straits undermined "Russia's war effort."
He also praised Turkish diplomats negotiating the Black Sea Grain Initiative that enabled "the safe passage of almost 33 million tons of grain to more than 40 countries."
He also evaluated the recent approval of the deal for the sale of 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernization kits to Türkiye after a long-delayed process.
"Türkiye's F-16 fleet is critical to NATO's strength, ensuring future interoperability among allies and giving Türkiye, with NATO's second-largest military, greater capacity to share in our collective security," he said.
Last month, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said Washington was open to welcoming Türkiye back into the F-35 fighter jet program if the issue over the S-400 air defense system is resolved.
The prolonged process over the F-16s led Türkiye to begin discussions to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets. In November, it announced that it was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy 40 Eurofighter jets, though Germany has objected to the idea. Ankara has been urging Germany to align with the NATO spirit.
Meanwhile, in another milestone for the Turkish defense industry, the nation's indigenously developed fighter jet KAAN completed its first flight on Wednesday.