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Turkey Buys Chinese SAMs

Turkey has selected the Chinese HQ-9 surface-to air-missile (SAM) for its T-Loramids air-defence programme, in a move that will surely raise eyebrows in Washington.

The decision is a result of a 26 September meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM), chaired by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

At the meeting, the EC selected China Precision Machinery Import Export Corporation (CPMIEC) for the multi-billion dollar SAM programme.
"It has been decided to start contract talks with China's CPMIEC for the joint production of the missiles and their systems in Turkey," the EC stated.

The Chinese offer of the system for $3 billion, was significantly cheaper than competitors: U.S. Patriot, Russian S-400, and French-Italian Eurosam Samp-T systems.

What is more significant China was willing to co-produce the HQ-9 together with Turkey, which is always interested in the acquisition of defense related know-how.

The two-stage solid propellant rocket has a slant range of 200 km.