Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Wednesday that Turkey will export 48 KAAN (TF-X) fighter jets to Indonesia and collaborate with this country in the production of the new Turkish fighter jet, which Ankara unveiled in 2023 and which aims to replace its current fleet of F-16 fighters.
“Under the agreement signed with our friend and brother country Indonesia, 48 KAAN fighters will be produced in Turkey and exported to Indonesia. KAAN production will also benefit from Indonesia’s local capabilities. I am confident that this agreement, which highlights the progress and achievements of our national defence industry, will be beneficial for both Turkey and Indonesia,” Erdoğan said in a message posted on social media.
Erdoğan was speaking about the agreement – echoed by Turkish news agencies – signed between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and the Indonesian government for the production and export of the KAAN within the framework of Indo Defence 2025, the largest defence industry fair in the Asia-Pacific region, held in Jakarta. Last April, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had already expressed his country’s desire to join Turkey’s national fighter development project, on which Ankara has said it is willing to collaborate with allied countries.
The KAAN is the first 5th generation fighter developed by Turkey’s national defence industry, designed to replace the F-16, which currently forms the bulk of Turkey’s air force but that, despite recent upgrades, is expected to begin to be withdrawn from service from the next decade. Initially the KAAN has used two General Electric F-110 jet engines, also used by Lockheed Martin on the F-16, although it is planned that during its production phase it will use Turkish-developed engines.
The KAAN has made Turkey one of the few countries in the world capable of producing its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The first prototype was unveiled in 2019, although it was not until early 2024 that it made its maiden flight, with series production scheduled to begin in 2028. Under the deal with Indonesia, Turkey will deliver a total of 48 KAAN fighters over a 10-year period. Türkiye also recently agreed to sell another of its new fighter aircraft, the Hürjet, to Spain, to replace its current old F-5 fleet.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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