NPR:

The first pieces of the S-400 missile defense system Turkey bought from Russia — against the wishes of the U.S. and NATO — began arriving Friday, according to Turkey's National Defense Ministry. In response, the Pentagon is expected to announce that Turkey will be barred from receiving the new F-35 fighter.

Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35s, which is produced by Lockheed Martin. But since Turkey announced in 2017 that it also planned to install Russia's S-400 air-defense system, the U.S. has repeatedly said that Turkey can have one or the other — but not both.

"If Turkey procures the S-400, it will mean they will not receive the F-35. It's that simple, " acting U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said last month.

Beyond implying a crisis of solidarity in the NATO alliance, the Russia-Turkey deal has been criticized by the U.S. and its allies because of the potential for sensitive information to be sent back to Russia by its advanced missile system.

NPR's David Welna reported earlier this year on the concerns of U.S. military officials: "The S-400, they say, is designed to detect and shoot down stealth fighters like the F-35. Planting that air-defense system on Turkish soil could, by means of its powerful radar, help Moscow discover the secrets — and the vulnerabilities — of the F-35s that Turkey intends to acquire."

Turkey went ahead with the deal despite warnings from the U.S. that buying the Russian system could prompt sanctions. On Friday, Turkey's Defense Ministry announced via Twitter that the first component had arrived at the Murted Air Base in Ankara. Photos from the scene showed a large Russian cargo jet landing and opening its nose cone to unload large equipment, which was kept under tarps.

But the operation itself was far from secret: Russia's Defense Ministry even posted a Facebook video of much of the process, showing trucks and material being loaded into an Antonov An-124 jet and then being offloaded on the tarmac in Ankara.

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