In a significant development for Türkiye’s defence capabilities, the National Combat Aircraft KAAN has completed its maiden flight, marking a historic moment for the nation.
The President of the Defence Industry Agency (SSB) Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, expressed immense pride in this achievement, hailing it as a pivotal step towards realising President Erdogan’s vision for the country’s defence sector.
TFX Kaan brings Türkiye to the elite league of 5th Gen fighter jets manufacturers. Coordinated by the Presidency of Defense Industries and executed by Turkish Aerospace Industries, KAAN completed various tests before its flight, including ejection seat and control surface tests, Turkish media reported.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote, “We have engraved another development in our history, which will be one of the milestones of the locality and nationality vision that our President Mr. Erdogan drew for our country in the defence industry. Thank God”.
The successful maiden flight of KAAN signifies not only the introduction of a 5th generation warplane but also the acquisition of advanced technologies previously limited to only a handful of nations. This accomplishment is a testament to the dedication and expertise of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) engineers and technical teams, who played a crucial role in the project’s success.
“We heartily congratulate all our companies that contributed to the project, especially our TAI engineers and technical teams,” Prof. Dr. Görgün added, emphasising that this achievement is a reflection of the nation’s capabilities.
The development of KAAN underscores Türkiye’s commitment to bolstering its national defence capabilities and fostering technological independence in the aerospace sector. Prof. Dr. Görgün reiterated the nation’s determination to continue strengthening its indigenous technologies for the security of Türkiye and its allies.
“We will continue to strengthen all our national steel wings, especially KAAN, and develop the fully independent technologies of our skies for the security of our nation and friends,” Prof. Dr. Görgün affirmed.
According to Turkish media reports, the NATO member had launched its TF-X project in 2016 to produce a national combat aircraft. TAI signed a deal with Britain’s BAE Systems worth $125 million in 2017 to develop the next-generation fighter jet.
This is Turkiye’s most ambitious project to date. It seeks to replace the aging F-16 fleet in the inventory of the Air Forces Command, which is planned to be phased out starting in the 2030s.
According to Turkish media outlet Daily Sabah, “The new fighter jet will initially be powered by two General Electric F-110 engines, which are also used on fourth-generation Lockheed Martin F-16 jets. It will be capable of air-to-air combat with new-generation weapons and precision strikes from internal weapon mounts at supersonic speed, and will provide increased combat power with AI and neural network support”.
The jet will make Türkiye one of the few countries with the infrastructure and technology to produce a fifth-generation combat aircraft. Türkiye recently secured a deal to procure 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernisation kits for its existing F-16s from the United States, after a long-delayed process.
