KAAN TF-X National Fighter Aircraft [Yerli Savas Jeti]
Türkiye became the fifth country in the world to fly stealth fighter jets, following the USA, Russia, China, and South Korea.
Türkiye's first fighter jet KAAN conducted its maiden test flight on 21 February 2024. The 21-meter aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 1.8 Mach thanks to its twin engines, which can produce 13,000 kilograms of thrust each. Temel Kotil, the head of TAI, said on X that KAAN stayed in the air for 13 minutes and reached a speed of 230 knots at an altitude of 8,000 feet during the flight on Wednesday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye has left behind another critical stage to produce its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft. "In the coming period, we will continue to give new good news to our nation in the defense industry," he wrote on X. KAAN aims to rejuvenate the Turkish army's fleet, making Türkiye one of the few countries to own this technology.
Projects for the production of KAAN began in 2016, and the fighter jet was rolled out in March 2023. The 21-metre aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 1.8 Mach thanks to its twin engines, which can produce 13,000 kilogrammes of thrust each. It has several features such as high situational awareness, optimised pilot workload, combat damage detection, new generation mission systems, low observability, precision strike, and internal weapon bay.
The 13-minute maiden test flight of Türkiye's first homegrown fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN made a splash among the worldwide media outlets. The US-based Business Insider website said the successful completion of the maiden flight was "a major step forward for Türkiye's efforts to acquire a fifth-generation fighter". Business Insider stressed that KAAN was the result of over a decade of effort from the Turkish Air Force and the country aims KAAN to "eventually replace" the country's F-16 fleet. It underlined that the flight was a "a promising step forward" for Türkiye, especially after the tension with the US over the F-35 fighter jet project.
Bloomberg highlighted that Türkiye's 5th generation fighter jet's first-ever flight was a "milestone". Reuters announced the move by saying "Türkiye's KAAN, its first national combat aircraft, completed its first flight on Wednesday, part of the country's efforts to upgrade its air force." Citing Haluk Gorgun, the head of Türkiye's Defence Industries Presidency, Reuters noted that Türkiye aims to use domestically produced engines on KAAN in serial production.
London based newspaper Al Arab reported the developme
nt with the headline Türkiye broke new ground in the production of 5th generation combat aircraft. Saudi Arabia's Asharq Bloomberg television website also presented KAAN's first flight to its readers with the title "The greatest king. What do we know about Türkiye's 5th generation stealth plane?" Qatar's Al Jazeera television also announced KAAN's first flight to its audience with the statements of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
BNN Bloomberg TV broadcasting in Canada stated that KAAN was the symbol of the self-confidence and innovation of the Turkish defence industry. A new dawn was born in the history of Turkish defence and aviation, it said, adding the move represents a significant leap in Türkiye's quest for self-reliance in military technology and a bold step towards the future of war.
The Japanese media praised the first flight of KAAN, as Turkish defence officials hope to export the fifth-generation fighter jet to Asua and Gulf countries, according to the country’s biggest business newspaper named Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei). The paper also reported that TAI aims to develop KAAN to include low visibility capability by 2030, with the company also planning to manufacture 20 units of it.
The Norimono News website reported on the first flight by KAAN to be completed. The story quoted President Erdogan saying, “Today, was another proud day for Türkiye’s defence industry.” The KAAN fighter jet is one of the world’s best among the fifth-generation fighter jets, along with the “F35” and the “Sukhoi 57,” it added, emphasising that Türkiye is expected to improve its already developed defence capabilities in the future.
The People’s Daily and the Xinhua News Agency covered the story, also quoting President Erdogan saying, “Türkiye has crossed another critical threshold in the production of fifth-generation fighter jets.” The story mentioned that the aircraft was designed in line with the requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces, and laid out the technical specifications of KAAN saying that it could replace the F-16 aircraft in the inventory.
“Türkiye’s KAAN, its first national combat aircraft, completed its first flight on Wednesday, part of the country's efforts to upgrade its air force.” India based NDTV mentioned the indigenous aircraft. “The flight marks a landmark moment for Türkiye, where authorities have made modernising the country's aging air force a top priority,” said the Times of India. “The project places Türkiye in a small group of powers working on fifth-generation aircraft, which means KAAN will eventually have stealth capablities,advanced avionics and will be able to undertake command roles in battle,” it added.
Pakistan based Samaa TV ran a story titled “Türkiye’s first indigenous fighter jet KAAN takes maiden flight,” mentioning the successful flight and the many features of the fifth-generation fighter jet in detail.
TASS news agency showcased 'KAAN' with its first successful flight, as well as the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, which mentioned that the aircraft was started to be produced in 2017. Ria Novosti news agency also announced the first flight of 'KAAN.' News outlets in Azerbaijan, Libya, Georgia also gave wide coverage on KAAN.
Türkiye is "rapidly increasing its military deterrence capabilities" under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country's communications director said. "The latest example of this is our fifth generation fighter jet Kaan’s maiden flight," Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said in a statement on social media platform X. Altun said the country is incredibly proud of advancements in the defence sector thanks to the ingenuity and hard work of Türkiye's military planners, engineers, programmers and other staff at Turkish companies.
"President Erdogan’s vision for our country is propelling us to a future where we will be a lot more self-reliant in defence through indigenous projects. We will be able to deter enemies and contribute even more strongly to the security of our allies and partners around the world," Altun stated. Türkiye is "ever more self-confident and resolved" thanks to the progress made under President Erdogan’s leadership, the communications director added. "Our president (Erdogan) has taught us that impossible is just a word. I am sure that his vision will guide us toward many more milestones."
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