President Erdoğan announced that Saudi Arabia is considering a joint investment in the KAAN fighter jet program. Qatar and Azerbaijan are also among the interested countries.
Turkey has accelerated its search for new international partners to share the high cost of the fifth-generation national fighter jet KAAN. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Saudi Arabia is considering a joint investment in the KAAN program and that a decision could be made shortly.
Erdoğan: “KAAN investment could happen at any moment”
President Erdoğan, speaking to journalists on his return to Turkey after visits to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, said cooperation with Riyadh in the defence industry has been deepened.
President Erdoğan said,
“We are signing important defence industry cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and are determined to strengthen them further. In addition, a joint investment with Saudi Arabia is also being considered. This KAAN investment could happen at any moment.”
F-35 process accelerated KAAN
Turkey began work on developing a fifth-generation fighter jet in 2010. However, after Ankara purchased the Russian-made S-400 air defence system, its removal from the US-led F-35 program in 2019 and subsequent sanctions increased the importance given to the national fighter jet project.
During this process, KAAN became central to the modernisation of Turkey’s air force.
High costs, expanding search for partnerships
The high cost of the KAAN program is pushing Ankara toward international partnership models. In this context:
- In June, Indonesia signed an agreement worth over $10 billion to purchase 48 KAAN fighter jets.
- The 10-year agreement also includes joint production of certain KAAN components in Indonesia.
Additionally, Qatar and Azerbaijan are among the countries showing interest in the aircraft.
First flight in 2024, engine issue critical
KAAN successfully completed its first flight in February 2024. The prototype aircraft flew temporarily with two General Electric F110-GE-129 engines used in Turkish Air Force F-16s.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ/TAI), which runs the KAAN program, continues efforts to develop a domestic engine for the aircraft.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated last year that the US Congress had blocked the delivery of F110 engines planned for the first batch of KAAN aircraft.
Delivery schedule between 2028–2033
TAI aims to deliver the first KAAN fighter jet to the Turkish Air Force by the end of 2028. However, some defence analysts predict this timeline could slip to 2030.
According to planning:
- The first 10 KAAN Block-1 fighter jets are targeted to enter Turkish Air Force inventory between 2030–2033.
