TUSAŞ CEO: Two KAAN fighters to take flight by late 2025

CEO of the Turkish aerospace company TUSAŞ, Mehmet Demiroğlu, has shared updates on Türkiye's KAAN national combat aircraft project, one of the country's most significant defence initiatives.

The CEO said that by the end of 2025, two KAAN fighter jets will be airborne, marking a major milestone for the program, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Demiroğlu emphasized the advanced capabilities of the KAAN, stating that it cannot be compared to the F-16: "It’s like comparing a car to an airplane. Some features of the KAAN are not even present in the F-22."

TUSAŞ has already completed the first test flights, with another planned for this year. However, the main phase of test flights will begin in 2024.

Demiroğlu added, "Everything is progressing smoothly. We expect the first delivery to the Turkish Air Force in 2028."

"2025 yılı sonunda iki tane KAAN'ımız havalanmış olacak"

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Demiroğlu: KAAN'ın F-16'larla kıyaslanması mümkün değil. Bu bir arabayla bir uçağı kıyaslamak gibi bir şey. KAAN'ın özelliklerinin bazılar şu anda F-22'de bile yok. pic.twitter.com/nHlnmCqpyt

— TRT Haber Canlı (@trthabercanli) October 2, 2024

By Khagan Isayev