The newly unveiled Turkish fighter jet, KAAN, made headlines by successfully completing its maiden flight in February 2024. This flight marked a significant milestone in Turkey’s aerospace renaissance. During the thirteen-minute flight, the aircraft soared to an altitude of 8,000 feet and reached a speed of 230 knots.
In May of this year, the KAAN fighter jet accomplished another remarkable success with its second flight. Previously, Temel Kotil, the former executive director of TAI, boasted that the fighter would outperform the American fifth-generation F-35 in terms of performance.
Following its expulsion from the F-35 program due to acquiring the Russian S-400 air defense system, Turkey pivoted to the Lockheed Martin Block-70 F-16 Fighting Falcon as an alternative. The nation secured a $23 billion contract with the U.S. to purchase 40 advanced Block-70 models and upgrade kits for their existing fleet of F-16s.
In a TV interview, Mehmet Demiroğlu, the executive director of Turkish Aerospace Industries, shared bold plans for the KAAN fighter. He optimistically predicted that the orders for this fifth-generation marvel could potentially skyrocket to several hundred aircraft.
Turkey is fervently marketing their fighter jet, KAAN, on the global stage with the primary aim of avoiding a surge in costs. Should they fail to secure international orders, the price per unit could exceed $100 million, making it prohibitively expensive for Turkey.
Potential partnerships are in the works, including with Azerbaijan, following a cooperation agreement last summer, and Pakistan, which is also being considered as a strategic partner in this venture.
The Turkish KAAN fighter, known as the TF-X, is a state-of-the-art fifth-generation multi-role fighter aircraft developed by Turkey. It boasts capabilities for a wide range of missions, including air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, and reconnaissance. This ambitious project is spearheaded by Turkish Aerospace Industries [TAI] in collaboration with multiple national and international partners.