TUSAŞ chief: KAAN fighter jet can rival all existing aircraft

Türkiye's first national fighter jet is the most successful project ever realised in the world in such a short time and can compete with all existing aircraft, TUSAŞ head Temel Kotil has said.

Türkiye launched its TF-X project to produce a national fighter jet in 2016. In 2017, TUSAŞ signed a $125 million deal with Britain's BAE Systems to develop the next-generation fighter jet.

The 2024 KAAN took off and stayed in the air for 13 minutes, reaching a speed of 230 knots at an altitude of 8,000 feet, TRT Haber reports quoting Kotil as saying.

The aircraft will make Türkiye one of the few countries with the infrastructure and technology to produce fifth-generation fighter jets.

"This is the most successful project in the world that has been realised in such a short time. Eurofighter, F-16, and Rafael aircraft are inferior to it in terms of technology," Kotil said, noting that the KAAN will be capable of interoperating with all combat aircraft.

"The first flight was decisive. It is a 25-tonne vehicle. It contains everything from the computer to the hydraulic system, the power distribution system...", he said.

Kotil stressed that this is a completely domestic aircraft.

"The landing gear is domestic, the generator is domestic, except for the engine and the ejection seat.... This is the most sophisticated piece of engineering the Turks have ever created," he said. - We have chosen the most advanced technology, like the F-22 and the F-35".

He said Türkiye was working with Ukrainian companies to develop the jet's engine. "There will also be a purely Turkish engine, we are working on it and we hope that the fighter will be equipped with it by the time of delivery [in 2028]," Kotil said.

The TUSAŞ CEO also said that seven fighters are currently being assembled and that "20 fighters will be delivered to the Turkish Air Force in 2028".

Kotil also spoke of plans to integrate 6th generation fighter jets with drones.