Rolls-Royce has reportedly scaled back attempts to join a programme to build a new fighter jet for Turkey in partnership with Kale Group.
The programme seeks to create Turkey’s first combat aircraft.
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Financial Times (FT) first broke the story and stated that the company’s decision will affect the UK’s ambitions to ensure the British aerospace industry plays a pivotal role in the project.
In January 2017, the UK Prime Minister Theresa May signed a defence deal with Turkey worth more than £100m to develop the Turkish fighter jet. The deal involves BAE Systems working in partnership with Turkish companies to build the bespoke TF-X fighter jet.
In May, Kale Group formed a joint venture (JV) with Rolls-Royce to target aircraft engine opportunities in Turkey.
The JV saw the TF-X fighter jet project as a key opportunity and presented an engine solution for the programme last year.
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By GlobalDataAccording to reports in FT and Reuters, differences between Kale and Rolls-Royce surfaced last year over the sharing of intellectual property and the involvement of a Qatari-Turkish company.
Citing several sources, FT stated that attempts to resolve the dispute failed and Rolls-Royce had given up on its efforts to win the bid for the fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
A Rolls-Royce spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying: “We have worked closely with Kale throughout this process and the offer that remains on the table is for a co-developed solution delivered through our JV company, TAEC.”
