The KAAN prototype has begun taxi tests. The two aircraft are targeted to fly together by the end of 2026, while initial deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028, Turkish Aerospace announced.
The new prototype of KAAN, Türkiye’s national combat aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace, began its first ground movements and taxi tests in July 2026. Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow, Turkish Aerospace General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu said pre-flight ground and system tests were continuing and that the new prototype was expected to make its maiden flight within a few months.
Demiroğlu stated that the completion of several critical tests was still awaited, adding that a second new prototype was also planned to join flight testing before the end of 2026.
Announcing Turkish Aerospace’s year-end target, Demiroğlu said, “Our goal is to have both KAAN aircraft flying side by side by the end of the year.”
New KAAN Prototype Prepares for Flight
The start of taxi tests for the new prototype indicates that the aircraft has entered the pre-flight ground testing phase following the completion of assembly work. During this process, the combined operation of the flight control systems, engines, braking system, landing gear, avionics components and other critical systems is being checked.
The scope of the taxi tests and when the prototype will move to the high-speed taxi phase have not been disclosed. The maiden flight date will be finalised according to the results obtained during ground testing and airworthiness assessments.
Turkish Aerospace officials previously announced that work was continuing to prepare three new prototypes in addition to the first KAAN that flew. As of May 2026, two aircraft were reported to be on the assembly line, while another prototype was being prepared to be placed on its landing gear.
Year-End Target for Two KAAN Aircraft
If the schedule announced by Turkish Aerospace is implemented, two new KAAN prototypes will join flight testing before the end of 2026.
Flying multiple prototypes during the same period will allow the test programme to be distributed across different aircraft. This will make it possible to conduct simultaneous tests involving the flight control system, aerodynamic structure, mission computers, avionics systems, sensors and other subsystems.
The first flight to be conducted by the two aircraft side by side is also expected to symbolise the KAAN programme’s transition to the multi-prototype testing phase.
Procurement Contract Signed for the First 20 Aircraft
The procurement contract for KAAN between the Presidency of Defence Industries and Turkish Aerospace was signed on 6 May 2026 at the SAHA 2026 International Defence, Aerospace and Space Industry Fair.
The contract was signed by Presidency of Defence Industries President Haluk Görgün, Turkish Aerospace Board Chairman Ömer Cihad Vardan and Turkish Aerospace General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu.
Uğur Zengin, Turkish Aerospace Executive Vice President for the National Combat Aircraft, announced that the contract covers 20 KAAN aircraft for delivery to the Turkish Air Force. Initial deliveries are targeted to begin in 2028.
Annual Production Capacity to Be Increased
Turkish Aerospace is using its existing production infrastructure for the low-rate initial production of KAAN. According to the company, the existing facility has reached the capacity to manufacture between six and nine KAAN aircraft annually.
In addition, design work is continuing on a new production facility capable of manufacturing 24 aircraft per year. Once the new facility becomes operational, KAAN’s total annual production capacity could exceed 30 aircraft. However, the completion and commissioning date of the new production facility has not yet been announced.
KAAN File: Technical Specifications and Future Plans
The Presidency of Defence Industries describes KAAN as a next-generation combat aircraft being developed to meet the requirements of the Turkish Air Force Command.
The project aims to design and manufacture a fighter aircraft based on high manoeuvrability, low observability, modern mission and sensor systems, and the participation of the domestic defence industry.
Turkish Aerospace describes KAAN as a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and equipped with low-observability and sensor-fusion capabilities.
The programme aims not only to develop a new aircraft but also to establish a broad ecosystem covering fighter aircraft design, production, certification, avionics systems, munitions, engine technologies, and maintenance and sustainment infrastructure.
Institutional Structure of the Project
Turkish Aerospace is the prime contractor for the KAAN programme, while the Presidency of Defence Industries is the project authority.
The contract for the KAAN Development Project was signed between the Presidency of Defence Industries and Turkish Aerospace on 5 August 2016. According to Turkish Aerospace, the contract covered the preliminary design phase of the development and production process.
Under an agreement signed between BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace on 28 January 2017, engineering and technical cooperation was established for the initial development phase of the project, which was then known as TF-X. The agreement envisaged Turkish and British engineers working together on the aircraft’s design and development process.
Other key stakeholders in the programme include ASELSAN, TEI, TRMOTOR, TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, TÜBİTAK SAGE and TÜBİTAK MAM.
KAAN’s Technical Specifications
According to technical data publicly released by Turkish Aerospace, KAAN is being developed as a twin-engine fighter aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 34.7 tonnes.
| Technical category | Announced data |
|---|---|
| Length | 20.3 metres |
| Wingspan | 13.4 metres |
| Height | 5 metres |
| Wing area | 71.6 square metres |
| Maximum take-off weight | 34,750 kilograms |
| Number of engines | 2 |
| Announced total thrust | 2 × 13,150 kgf |
| Maximum speed | Mach 1.8 |
| Service ceiling | 55,000 feet |
| Positive G limit | +9 G |
| Negative G limit | -3.5 G |
| Mission profile | Air-to-air and air-to-ground |
| Weapons carriage | Internal weapons bays |
| Supercruise | Targeted capability |
| Low observability | Among the design objectives |
Turkish Aerospace’s official technical data does not disclose KAAN’s numerical combat radius, flight range, radar cross-section, number of internal weapon stations or total payload capacity.
For this reason, it is not possible to establish a definitive performance ranking between KAAN and other fighter aircraft using figures that have not been publicly disclosed.
Next-Generation Avionics Architecture
KAAN’s mission systems are being developed to process data received from different sensors through a central system and provide the pilot with an integrated operational picture.
The mission-system architecture announced by Turkish Aerospace includes the following components:
- Integrated modular avionics
- Sensor fusion
- Integrated radio-frequency system
- Integrated electro-optical system
- Communications, navigation and identification system
- Integrated processor unit
- Wide-area cockpit display
- Helmet-mounted display system
The platform is intended to provide high situational awareness through advanced sensors and rapid data transfer, and to operate jointly with F-16s, airborne early warning and control aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other air, land and naval assets.
Flight-control computers, central management computers, avionics interface units, the deterministic network and the real-time operating system developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM were used during the flight of the first KAAN prototype.
Low-Observability Capability
KAAN’s airframe design is being developed around reducing radar and infrared signatures, carrying munitions in internal weapons bays and integrating sensors with the platform.
Turkish Aerospace identifies low radar and infrared signatures as one of KAAN’s primary design objectives. However, no numerical value for the aircraft’s radar cross-section has been published.
Work is being conducted within TÜBİTAK on radar-absorbing surface coatings, low-observability solutions for the canopy and air intake, and frequency-selective radome technologies.
KAAN’s Engine Roadmap
The General Electric F110 engine family is planned to be used in KAAN’s prototypes and initial production aircraft.
The 15-day congressional review period for the US administration’s sales notification concerning the F110-GE-129E/F engines ended on 9 July 2026 without any blocking decision.
The notification covers engine integration, assembly, certification, testing activities, external modifications and the sharing of technical data. The completion of the review period allowed the sales process to continue, but it does not mean that engine deliveries have been completed. The delivery schedule must be determined separately following technical and commercial negotiations.
Domestic TF35000 Engine
The TF35000 turbofan engine is being developed jointly by TEI and TRMOTOR as KAAN’s long-term powerplant.
The TF35000 is targeted to be in the 35,000-pound thrust class and to meet KAAN’s fifth-generation fighter aircraft requirements. The engine is planned to be developed using high-temperature-resistant superalloys and advanced coating and cooling technologies.
TEI’s official product page does not provide a definitive date for when the engine will begin to be used on KAAN. Therefore, the flight schedule with the domestic engine will depend on the progress of design, prototype production, ground testing, flight testing and certification activities.
National Munitions to Be Integrated into KAAN
TÜBİTAK SAGE plays an important role in KAAN’s munition integration activities.
According to the roadmap announced by TÜBİTAK, the following systems are planned to be integrated into KAAN:
- SOM-A
- SOM-B1
- SOM-B2
- SOM-J
- HGK-82
- HGK-83
- HGK-84
- KGK-82
- KGK-83
- NEB
- BOZDOĞAN
- GÖKDOĞAN
- GÖKHAN
This configuration demonstrates the objective of using KAAN for within-visual-range and beyond-visual-range air combat, as well as precision air-to-ground strikes and long-range strike missions.
TÜBİTAK SAGE announced that integration work for the SOM-J cruise missile on KAAN was continuing as of 2026.
Export of 48 KAAN Aircraft to Indonesia
The definitive contract for the sale of 48 KAAN aircraft between Turkish Aerospace and the Indonesian Ministry of Defence was signed in Istanbul during IDEF 2025.
Turkish Aerospace announced that the contract represents a multidimensional cooperation model covering not only aircraft procurement but also the development of local production capabilities in Indonesia and training support.
The contract constitutes KAAN’s first major export programme in the international market. However, full details concerning the aircraft delivery schedule, final engine configuration, local production ratio and financial value of the contract have not been publicly disclosed.
KAAN Development Schedule
| Date | Development in the programme |
| 2015 | Preliminary design process and programme structuring began |
| 5 August 2016 | Development contract signed between the Presidency of Defence Industries and Turkish Aerospace |
| 28 January 2017 | Cooperation agreement signed between Turkish Aerospace and BAE Systems for the initial development phase |
| 21 February 2024 | KAAN completed its maiden flight |
| 6 May 2024 | Second test flight completed |
| June 2025 | Initial agreement for 48 aircraft with Indonesia announced |
| July 2025 | Definitive sales contract signed with Indonesia |
| 6 May 2026 | Procurement contract for 20 aircraft signed between the Presidency of Defence Industries and Turkish Aerospace |
| July 2026 | New prototype announced to have begun taxi tests |
| End of 2026 | Two new KAAN prototypes targeted to fly |
| 2028 | Initial deliveries to the Turkish Air Force targeted to begin |
KAAN completed its maiden flight on 21 February 2024. During the 13-minute flight, the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 8,000 feet and reached a speed of 230 knots.
The second test flight was conducted on 6 May 2024. This flight lasted 14 minutes, during which KAAN reached an altitude of 10,000 feet and a speed of 230 knots.
Can KAAN Be Compared with Other Fighter Aircraft?
In terms of its dimensions, twin-engine configuration and announced maximum take-off weight, KAAN belongs to a larger platform category than the F-35A. In terms of airframe dimensions, it has a configuration closer to twin-engine fighter aircraft such as the J-20 and Su-57.
However, publicly available data concerning KAAN, the F-35, J-20, Su-57 and KF-21 is not disclosed at the same level of detail. Critical information such as radar cross-section, sensor range, electronic-warfare capacity, combat radius and full weapons load is released only to a limited extent by the respective countries.
For this reason, ranking the platforms solely according to their size, speed or generation designation is not technically sufficient. KAAN’s actual operational level can be assessed more accurately after the completion of sensor fusion, mission software, low-observability, radar and electronic-warfare performance, and weapons integration work.
Principal Risks in the KAAN Programme
Engines and External Procurement
The F110 engines to be used in the initial production aircraft are critically important to the programme’s short-term schedule. Although the sales process with the United States is progressing positively, the delivery, technical assistance, integration and certification stages must still be completed.
In the long term, reducing dependence on foreign suppliers will depend on the development of the TF35000 engine and making it airworthy.
Maturation of Mission Systems
KAAN’s fifth-generation objective depends not only on the aircraft being able to fly but also on the combined operation of its radar, electro-optical systems, electronic warfare, sensor fusion, mission computers and munitions.
Testing, verifying and preparing all these systems for operational use under different flight conditions will require a long-term flight-test programme.
Production Infrastructure
When the initial 20-aircraft contract and Indonesia’s order for 48 aircraft are considered together, it is clear that the KAAN programme will require high production capacity.
In addition to new production facilities, the supply chain, trained workforce, quality control, engine supply, maintenance and sustainment, and spare-parts infrastructure must expand at the same pace.
Schedule Pressure
The target of beginning initial deliveries in 2028 depends on the new prototypes joining flight testing within a short period and critical subsystems reaching maturity within the established schedule.
The programme has moved beyond the concept and technology-demonstration phase. However, flight testing, system integration and certification activities must be completed before it can reach an operationally mature stage with low serial-production risks.
