In September of 2017 Turkey signed a 2.5 billion dollar contract to buy S-400 Triumf air defense systems from Russia. Being a NATO member, the US was none-too-pleased with the news and has voiced disdain for the choice openly and repeatedly. When asked about the strategic meaning of the deal in a February 2018 interview with the Washington Post, Sergei Chemezov head of Rostec, cheekily replied, “The S-400 is not an offensive system; it is a defensive system. We can sell it to Americans if they want to”. Part of Chemezov’s joke pivots on the Cold War assumption that the prospect of the US purchasing an air defense system is absurd. The US manufactures exceptionally capable air defense systems. Frustration at Turkey is based on the expectation that a NATO ally would procure NATO-approved products for the sake of diplomacy and systems interoperability. If, however, the US wanted to take up Chemezov’s offer it would have to clear a few hurdles.
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