IRIA News

One week following the second test flight of Turkey’s domestically-produced Kaan fighter, the general manager of Turkish Aerospace Industries announced that the company anticipates delivering 20 aircraft by 2028.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) General Manager Temel Kotil also made some bold claims about the capabilities of the country’s new Kaan fighter jet, including saying the fifth-generation aircraft is better than U.S.-made F-35s.

“This aircraft is better than the F-35,” Kotil told a local Turkish Newspaper. He made this claim based on the fighter jet’s ammunition-carrying capabilities. “The F-35 carries six tons, [the Kaan] carries 10 tons of ammunition.”

He also mentioned that the Turkish fighter jet features two engines, unlike its American counterpart, which has only one. “Having two engines means more energy and radars illuminating a greater distance,” he explained.

#GökVatan KAAN’ın kanatları altında! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/hGmtHJq54I

— Türk Havacılık Uzay Sanayii (@TUSAS_TR) May 7, 2024

Turkey’s emphasis on competing Kaan with the F-35 stems from the U.S.’s move to expel Ankara from the F-35 program following its purchase of a Russian air defense system. The Kaan program was initiated as part of Turkey’s effort to develop its combat aircraft after being unable to secure approval to acquire the Lockheed Martin-made fighter jet.

Delivery of 20 jets

Despite completing only its second flight test, Kotil suggested high market expectations for the Kaan. He stated that TAI aims to deliver 20 aircraft by 2028 and “many more” between 2030 and 2033. Turkey plans to acquire hundreds of Kaan jets in bulk for its Air Force’s fighter fleet.

The jet, equipped with advanced weaponry, is reportedly capable of both air-to-air combat and precision supersonic strikes. So far, the fighter jets rely on General Electric-manufactured F110-GE-129 turbofan engines. TAI also aims to produce domestically-made engines for these combat jets by 2028.

To qualify as a fifth-generation fighter, an aircraft must have certain features like stealth capabilities to avoid detection and the ability to cruise at supersonic speeds without engaging its afterburners, among other things. Turkey’s Kaan has all the capabilities to be termed a fifth-generation fighter jet.

The aircraft incorporates an electronic warfare system and a 360-degree electro-optical surveillance system developed by Aselsan, one of the top defense firms in Turkey. The jet is coated with a special paint and its design is aimed at reducing radar visibility.

Second flight test

On May 6, a TAI test pilot flew a Kaan prototype to an altitude of 10,000 feet for over 14 minutes, with an F-16 jet serving as a safety chase during the second flight test. This occurred nearly three months after the aircraft’s maiden flight in February.

With the success of the first and second flights, the Kaan program is a step closer to full-rate production and deployment. “I wholeheartedly congratulate all our companies, employees, and institutional personnel who contributed to the project, especially our TAI engineers, pilots, and technical teams,” President of Turkish Defense Industries Agency Haluk Gorgun said following the successful test.

Alienated by its fellow NATO member countries and kicked out of the U.S.’s F-35 fighter jet program, Turkey used its defense production capabilities and diplomatic connections to seek partners to share the financial responsibilities of the project. Azerbaijan and Pakistan have expressed interest in participating.

In August 2023, Türkiye signed a National Combat Aircraft Development Collaboration Protocol with Azerbaijan. This agreement allowed Azerbaijan to participate in Turkey’s domestically developed fifth-generation fighter jet program.

Around the same time, a high-ranking Turkish official suggested the potential for Pakistan to join the initiative. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler revealed that Pakistan was in talks to finalize an agreement to take part in the development of this fifth-generation fighter.