Key Points – Turkey is advancing its indigenous KAAN fifth-generation stealth fighter program (formerly TF-X) with prototypes already flying and a target for first delivery to the Turkish Air Force by the end of 2028.
-Developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries, the KAAN aims for low observability, supercruise capability, advanced avionics, and internal weapons bays.
-Initially powered by GE F110 engines, Turkey plans for a domestically produced engine by 2032.
-Despite progress, questions remain about the Kaan’s ultimate cost and capabilities compared to established stealth fighters like the F-35. Turkey is also actively pursuing export opportunities, with Saudi Arabia reportedly interested.
KAAN: A New Stealth Fighter Coming Soon from Turkey?
Quick. Tell me the countries that are leaders in fifth-generation fighter jets. If you said the United States, China, and Russia, you’d be correct. But what about Turkey? That’s right. The Middle Eastern nation is trying to replace its older F-16 Fighting Falcons and archaic F-4 Phantoms with a new stealth fighter jet called the “KAAN”—previously known as the TF-X program.
Turkey has made excellent strides in its uncrewed flight efforts. The Bayraktar family of drones is top-notch, and the unmanned craft played an outsize role during the initial stages of the war in Ukraine. Manned stealth flight is an entirely different question. How will the Turks progress into the club of countries with fifth-generation fighters? Yes, they “want” to have stealth jets, but can they really make the leap?
It’s a “Kaan-spiracy”
Turkish engineers and designers think they can do it. Turkish Aerospace Industries has the bit in its teeth, and the program is advancing with new prototypes for the KAAN. The defense contractor believes it will deliver the first stealth fighter to the Air Force by the end of 2028.
Turkish Aerospace CEO Can’t Be More Optimistic
Turkish Aerospace Industries CEO Mustafa Demiroğlu is excited about the progress made so far. “The second prototype will be completed early next year and begin flight testing,” Demiroğlu said. “We’ve now ignited the afterburner on the first aircraft. We are awaiting its third flight – perhaps in August or before October. But it’s still too early to confirm,” according to Defense News.
There Are Still Some Things We Don’t Know
That’s good news for the program. Although I still have some questions. How much will this stealth warbird cost? What kind of capabilities will it have? Can the KAAN outclass other stealth birds, such as the Israeli F-35I Adir, with which it will compete in the Middle East?
We do know what the engine will be for the KAAN. Initially, it will be the General Electric F110, an after-burning turbofan model. But the Turks have big plans in store for the Kaan’s power plant. They aim to produce an engine indigenously by 2032. That ambition seems to be suiting the country well, and you can chalk the hype up to the Turks wanting to be the best air force in the region.
The Kaan will have a low radar cross-section, a vastly improved avionics system, internal weapons bays, and the ability to fly in supercruise. The prototype is expected to fly in 2024. Kaan engineers and designers will have their hands full incorporating all of these features into the new airplane, but they seem optimistic.
“Kaan is a national project that we are developing with Turkish engineers and technicians, for the future security and independence of our country,” Demiroğlu said.
The Turkish Military Is Not Afraid to Ruffle Feathers
The Turks have a bit of cheek with their defense forces. The country could have been a partner and destination for the F-35, but it decided to purchase S-400 air defense systems from Russia. As a result of this insouciant choice, the United States placed Turkey on the naughty list in 2019. No F-35s were forthcoming.
However, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is friends with Donald Trump, and the White House aims to achieve a peaceful Middle East by building on the Abraham Accords and making inroads with more Gulf States and countries in the broader region.
The United States and Turkey have attempted to conduct what I call “fighter plane diplomacy” with the F-35. Still, that effort ultimately failed, despite the Americans’ best wishes for the Turks to develop the KAAN.
Turkish Fighter Plane Diplomacy
Erdoğan is using his own brand of fighter plane diplomacy with other countries, though. He plans to sell it overseas to friends in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia may want to buy 100 KAANs.
“Saudi Arabia has been interested for a long time. Their interest is at the highest level right now. The Indonesian side is also doing well,” Demiroğlu said, as noted by Newsweek.
These countries are enthusiastic about being considered and appreciate how KAAN utilizes long-range strikes and artificial intelligence to enable the airplane to conduct powerful surface attacks and enhance its survivability in combat. And wouldn’t it be nice to get a stealth jet to keep up with China and Russia?
Turkey has taken note of the outcome of a recent dogfight between Pakistan and India. Pakistan’s Chinese-made non-stealth fighter, the J-10, shot down at least two Indian warplanes in a significant aerial clash this month. If the Chinese jets are that good, then it is time for Turkey to concentrate on its fifth-generation fighter to keep up.
We’ll see how this goes. One thing that concerns me is that it appears Turkey may be moving too quickly during the procurement process. This is not an easy endeavor to build stealth fighters. The technology in Turkey may not be mature enough to get the airplane into pilots’ hands so quickly. There will likely be delays in the program despite test flights having been conducted. Additionally, there have been no reports on the cost of the Kaan.
However, give Turkey points for ambition and enthusiasm. Fifth-generation airplanes are coming to the developing world. It is just a matter of time before they proliferate to more countries. The United States is not the only player in the fighter plane diplomacy game, and Turkey is ready to join the stealth fighter club, regardless of the cost and time required to deploy them.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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