IDEX: Turkey’s Kaan maybe can

Since then there has been a memorandum of understanding agreed with Saudi Arabia, allegedly for more than 100 of these fighters, but no one at Turkish Aerospace was willing to discuss it.

“There is a lot of interest in our fifth generation fighter Kaan, right now,” Turkish Aerospace Industries general manager Dr Mehmet Demiroglu told Show Business as he carefully side-stepped the question.

“The second prototype is expected to fly before the end of the year, and the third in early 2026 with the remaining three in 2027. The main advantage is it will be Turkish, there will be no restrictions [like the US DoD’s ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)].

“Everything onboard is indigenous, the engine and the ejection seat are the only two main systems that are not indigenous yet.”

The prototypes and initial serial production aircraft are being powered by the GE F110 after-burning turbofan, but plans are it will eventually rely on a Turkish engine.

“We have already started working on this, and I expect will take 6-7 years to fully develop. It’s an ambitious, but fair time-line. Both TEI (Tusas Engine Industries) a joint venture between TAI and General Electric and TRM (TRMotor) are involved in developing it, perhaps with outside assistance. We tried before to find a partner that proved unsuccessful ultimately.”

While the first two serial production batches, Block 10 and 20 will be powered by the F-16’s F110, the new Turkish engine should be ready for the third tranche, Block 30. There will be no difference between Block 10 and 20 in terms of capabilities, but the Block 20s will enter service with newer software and enhanced systems readiness that will find their way into Block 10.

“The weapons will be Turkish, from Roketsan, SAGE and Aselsan plus any other foreign weapons that are operational. The first ones will be indigenous,” he said.

The Kaan will replace the Turkish Air Force fleet of around 250 Lockheed Martin F-16s by the mid-2030s, and as the general manager said: “The Kaan will not work with F-16s, instead we are going for manned-unmanned teaming.”