A new prototype of the fifth-generation KAAN fighter developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has been unveiled, confirming progress on the fighter aircraft being developed by Turkey.
The KAAN project has passed a new milestone with the single prototype stage behind it, as evidenced by images taken during a visit by Turkish authorities to the programme’s hangar, showing the P0 prototype that made the first flight, a full-scale aircraft for static testing and a new unit – the P1 prototype – which is being prepared for a new flight in the coming months. This confirms that the development, testing and production phases of the aircraft are being carried out simultaneously.
The images show that the P1 is almost complete on the outside, although without paint and with some panels still to be installed in the lower area of the vertical stabiliser. The new prototype now incorporates two General Electric F110 engines and features design adjustments to the P0, including air intakes moved further back in the cockpit – in the P0 they were just below – and larger. There is also a possible relocation of the main landing gear to widen the track. According to defence sources, the first flight of the new P1 is scheduled for June at the latest.
The head of Turkey’s Defence Industries Presidency, Haluk Görgün, visited the hangar on Friday to see the latest progress of the project in person, Turkish news agency Anatolia reported. Görgün underlined that the presentation of the static test aircraft, along with the first and second flight prototypes, is a significant technical achievement and stressed that KAAN is not only a combat aircraft, but a symbol of Turkish defence industry and Turkey’s independent engineering capability.
According to Görgün, the programme is giving a major boost to the defence and aviation infrastructure, placing Türkiye in a select group of global players, especially with the ongoing development of a national propulsion engine for the KAAN, adding that this project is acting as a catalyst by simultaneously strengthening the infrastructure, human capital and technological base.
300 companies and 5,000 employees working on the KAAN project
In parallel to prototype trials and testing, Turkish authorities are rapidly developing preparations for series production of the aircraft. The KAAN supply chain currently consists of more than 5,000 employees in more than 300 companies in around 20 cities.
The TAI KAAN, also known as TF and MMU (Milli Muharip Uçak or ‘National Combat Aircraft’), is a twin-engine air superiority stealth fighter designed to replace the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 and for export to other countries. The project envisages advanced combat capabilities including low radar visibility, internal weapons stores, Enhanced Situational Awareness (ESA) and sensor fusion for superior air-to-air and air-to-ground mission performance.
After completing runway taxi tests in March 2023, the prototype made its first flight in February 2024; since then, development and production of the KAAN fifth-generation fighter has progressed without interruption, with the roadmap calling for delivery of 20 aircraft by 2030 in the initial configuration.
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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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