According to Middle East Eye, the US is uneasy about Saudi Arabia’s attempts to join Turkey’s KAAN national fighter aircraft programme.
Riyadh–Ankara Defence Contacts Echo in Washington
According to a report by UK-based Middle East Eye citing US officials, the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining Turkey’s national fighter aircraft programme KAAN has caused discomfort in Washington.
The report states that defence industry talks conducted by Riyadh with Ankara are being closely monitored by the US administration and that these contacts are seen as potentially threatening America’s defence market share in the region.
The JF-17 Example and the KAAN Programme
The report notes that, following intense pressure from Washington, Saudi Arabia assured the US it would not purchase JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan.
However, it was stated that a similar assurance has not yet been provided to the US regarding participation in Turkey’s KAAN national fighter aircraft programme.
Turkey’s KAAN project is being pursued with the goal of developing a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, while potential international partnerships are considered critically important for the programme’s financing and technological capacity.
“Single Supplier” Strategy
The report highlights that the approach particularly during the era of Donald Trump was based on positioning the US as a “single supplier” in regional defence systems.
A US official was quoted as asking the Saudis:
“What unmet need do you have from the US that you are going to Turkey for KAAN?”
Strategic and Sectoral Analysis
Saudi Arabia’s search for diversification in defence procurement has drawn attention in recent years through contacts with alternative producers such as China, Pakistan and Turkey.
A possible Saudi participation in the KAAN programme could create a new balance in areas such as:
- Financial support
- Production sharing
- Technology transfer
- Long-term defence cooperation
On the other hand, US pressure also reveals the geopolitical dimension of increasing competition in the regional defence market.
https://www.airportgundem.com/washington-riyadin-kaan-temaslarindan-rahatsiz/
