US to sell F-16 equipment worth $259 million to Turkey.

The US has notified Congress of a planned sale of avionics software upgrades for Turkey's current fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft, valued at up to $259 million. The deal, which has informal approval from congressional committees, would be the first major military sale to Turkey that Congress has approved for years. The upgrade will improve the interoperability between Turkish and NATO systems by updating its communications and also provide upgrades to enhance safety measures such as a ground collision avoidance system. The larger agreement, Turkey's request to buy billions of dollars worth of F-16s, remains in limbo amid continuing opposition in Congress.