Lockheed steps up efforts to sell Turkey missile defense systems

Along with increasing risks emanating from countries in Turkey's neighborhood has come increasing competition amongst the world's leading defense companies for contracts to build elaborate defense systems that will reduce threats to Turkey's security.

Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defense contractor, is teaming up with Raytheon in Turkey's tender for the acquisition of long-range missiles and hoping to become the company that will ultimately supply Turkey with what it says is the ultimate line of defense against enemy airborne threats: the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC 3) missile defense system.

However, the challenges posed -- not only by the effects of the ongoing economic crisis and the possible restructuring of defense budgets, but also by competition from countries not listed amongst the US's allies -- represent significant obstacles to negotiations.

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