It started as an ambitious program for a 5th-generation fighter, but it seems that it will be difficult to build a 4.5th-generation fighter, and it will probably take quite a while.
The Turkish KAAN fighter aircraft is an ambitious project that is part of Turkey’s strategy for developing its domestic defense industry.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is developing a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The aim is to gradually replace the aging F-16s in the Turkish fleet and strengthen the country’s autonomy in air defense.
However, the development and production of KAAN are accompanied by significant difficulties and challenges, both technologically and geopolitically.
Everyone knows that developing a fifth-generation fighter aircraft is an extremely complex and multi-year process requiring a high level of expertise and significant investments.
One of the program’s biggest problems is finding a reliable engine that meets a fifth-generation fighter’s requirements. Today, the KAAN prototype uses General Electric F110 engines, which are also used in the F-16. These engines obviously cannot compete with those used by the Rafale and the F-35 and cannot ensure corresponding performance.
That’s why recently, the Turks have proceeded with a redesign of the aircraft, with the third prototype being noticeably smaller, in an effort to improve the weight/power ratio. However, this means it loses much of its ability to carry modern weapons, at least equivalent to the Rafale and F-35, and its range is also reduced.
It is now clear to the Turks that developing a domestic engine is required, which is proving extremely difficult due to the high technological requirements and the limited capabilities of the Turkish defense industry.
At the same time, low-stealth technology is a key feature of modern fighter aircraft. Integrating this technology into the KAAN is particularly demanding, as it requires specialized materials, advanced painting techniques, special airframe design, and sophisticated avionics.
Turkey does not yet have the full know-how to develop all these technologies, which makes KAAN’s real ability to compete with aircraft like the F-35 uncertain. Already, many are talking about a 4.5-generation aircraft, inferior to the Rafale and similar to the F-16 Viper, when and if it is completed.
Fifth-generation fighters rely on advanced electronic systems for detection, surveillance, and electronic warfare. Turkey faces a challenge in developing AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radars and other high-tech sensors, as it requires cooperation with foreign companies and suppliers.
The development of KAAN requires huge financial investments, which significantly burden the state budget. Despite the Turkish government’s declarations to strengthen the domestic defense industry, Turkey faces limitations in financing the program.
Furthermore, the Turkish defense industry is still heavily dependent on foreign companies for critical components, such as engines, electronic systems, and high-tech materials.
Restrictions on defense exports from countries such as the United States and Germany create additional difficulties in access to necessary technologies.
Turkey’s defense policy has led to tensions with major international partners, negatively affecting the KAAN program.
The sanctions on the S400 have affected not only Turkey’s F-16 and F-35 programs but also the development of the KAAN, as many of the systems required for the new fighter jet depend on American technologies.
At the same time, the European Union and NATO have reservations about Turkey’s growing military independence and its movements in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.
For this reason, Turkey is looking for alternative partners, such as Pakistan, Malaysia, and other countries that are interested in developing domestic defense technologies.
Due to technological and financial obstacles, the KAAN program may suffer significant delays. Initially, it may proceed on a smaller scale, with a limited number of aircraft for testing and operational evaluation.
Whether the KAAN will be able to compete with the world’s top fighters remains a question that will be answered in the coming years. For now, however, the Turks seem to be rather confused and having great difficulty maintaining the timetable they initially had with the first deliveries in 2028.
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