Turkey's ambitious kaan jet aims to outshine U.S. F‑35

In light of the U.S. decision to exclude Turkey from the F-35 supply program, Ankara produced its fifth-generation fighter jet, KAAN. According to the company's general director, who is responsible for its production, this aircraft is "better than the F-35."

Tensions in U.S.-Turkish relations emerged shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine. In March 2022, the U.S. discussed with Ankara the possibility of transferring the S-400 air defense system, which Turkey had purchased from Russia to the front lines. These initial talks were informal, but years later, Turkey officially declared that the S-400 would not be exported to any country, including Ukraine.

The S-400s delivered to Turkey by Russia in 2019 were a significant point of contention, leading to Ankara's exclusion from the F-35 production and supply program. Despite U.S. proposals for settlement, Turkey did not change its decision. In response to losing the opportunity to acquire the F-35, the Turkish authorities announced that they would create their fifth-generation fighter jet, KAAN.

– This fighter jet [ed. KAAN] is superior to the F-35. – says Temel Kotil, general director of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), who is responsible for producing KAAN. – The F-35 can carry six tons of armaments, whereas the KAAN is capable of carrying ten tons – he explains. He also points out other elements that, in his opinion, make the Turkish machine better than the American one. He emphasizes that KAAN has two engines compared to the single engine of the F-35. He argues that having two engines means more energy and radars illuminating a greater distance.

The Ukrainian agency Unian, citing the words of the TAI director, also notes the Turkish declarations regarding the production of KAAN fighter jets shortly. Temel Kotil believes that the Turkish armed forces will receive the first 20 units of domestic machines by 2028. In 2030-2033, there will be "significantly more."

The power unit used by KAAN is expected to change by the end of the current decade. Currently, the Turkish fighter is powered by American General Electric F110-GE-129 engines, but the aircraft will get a new Turkish-made power unit in the coming years.

Unian also notes that the Turks must seek customers for their new fighter jet to reduce production costs. One of the potential partners identified by experts is Pakistan. However, Ukraine is also on the list of countries interested in purchasing KAAN, as Wirtualna Polska journalist Łukasz Michalik reported.