At SAHA defense expo in Istanbul, Turkish Aerospace CEO, Mehmet Demiroglu, announced that Ankara’s Defense Industries Secretariat has formally signed a deal with Turkish Aerospace to procure the first 20 indigenous 5th-generation KAAN fighter jets.

According to the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the KAAN Development Project was initiated with the aim of producing a domestically designed and developed fighter aircraft to replace the F-16 aircraft, which are planned to be phased out gradually starting from the 2030s.

Using advanced technologies such as low observability, internal weapon bays, high maneuverability, enhanced situational awareness, and sensor fusion, TAI is positioning itself among the limited number of companies, capable of producing 5th-generation fighter jets, and with KAAN, they will be able to offer superior capabilities for both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions. Since the initial development agreement, national cutting-edge engineering tools and methods have been employed in the testing and developing activities. The cockpit design of KAAN has been made to minimize pilot workload while incorporating the capabilities and equipment required in 5th-generation fighter aircraft. Following the completion of production and assembly activities, the first prototype completed the testing phase and successfully performed its maiden flight in February 2024.

The KAAN is currently Turkey’s most high-profile defense program, and in addition to Indonesia, TAI is courting a potential export deal with Saudi Arabia.

At SAHA, beyond the signing for the jets, Turkish industry took the opportunity to display the TF35000 turbofan engine concept, developed by TEI, which should replace the GE F110 engines onboard the KAAN by 2032. TAI also presented a model of its ANKA 3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) and its GOKBEY helicopter.

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