GOOD: Pentagon nixes Turkish offer to address S-400 fears.

Despite the rising tensions, the United States continues to proceed with Turkish training on the F-35 in hopes that Ankara may come around on the S-400. The Pentagon today delivered two more of the jets to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where Turkish pilots are training on the jets before they are flown back to Turkey and formally handed over to Ankara.

The Pentagon appears to already have made its best counter-offer to stave off a potential S-400 sale. In January, Pahon told Al-Monitor, the United States “made our strongest possible offer” with the Patriot missile-defense system, offering fresh batteries, advanced air defense missiles and bilateral coordination on industrial and system development aspects of the program.

“We have provided Turkey the opportunity with Patriot to acquire a NATO interoperable system that will advance our collective security,” Pahon reiterated today.

“As Turkey’s ally, we recognize Turkey lives in a tough neighborhood and its acquisition decisions are its sovereign choice,” he added, while adding that the S-400 purchase was “fundamentally incompatible” with the Patriot offer.

Indeed.