Turkish Aerospace Industries General Manager Prof. Dr. Temel Kotil made significant announcements about the National Combat Aircraft KAAN during the Rize Days event. Emphasizing Turkey’s young and dynamic engineers, Kotil disclosed that $2 billion has been spent on the KAAN project so far. Kotil highlighted that KAAN is a superior aircraft to the F-35, stating that it has a greater payload capacity than its rival. Additionally, he underscored that despite the F-35 being single-engine, KAAN’s dual-engine configuration provides more energy for radars.
Kotil mentioned that the F-35, produced by the American defense industry company Lockheed Martin, comes with an average cost of $130 million. In contrast, he emphasized that KAAN is a competitive alternative.
Kotil announced that 20 KAAN aircraft will be delivered to the Turkish Air Force in 2028, with hundreds more to be produced in the future. He stated that currently, all components of KAAN except for the engine and ejection seat are produced by domestic companies. Furthermore, he revealed plans to transition to domestic engine usage between 2028 and 2029.
Discussing the experiences gained during the production process, Kotil emphasized the importance of domestic production and highlighted that it strengthens Turkey’s independence in the defense industry. He stressed that all components used in the KAAN project are domestically produced, underscoring the importance of the work of young engineers for Turkey’s long-term sustainability.
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