Ankara’s homegrown fighter program appears to be gaining momentum. According to the jet’s manufacturer, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), expanded flight testing and prototype production of the fifth-generation KAAN aircraft may lead to the first delivery of the jet by the end of 2028. In total, four aircraft prototypes will be constructed for the program’s test campaign. TUSAS CEO Mustafa Demiroglu has specified that the first has already been fielded and that the next two in line are underway. “The second prototype will be completed early next year and begin flight testing,” Demiroğlu said in a Defense News report. “We’ve now ignited the afterburner on the first aircraft. We are awaiting its third flight – perhaps in August or before October. But it’s still too early to confirm.”

Turkey’s ambition to introduce a fully homegrown cutting-edge fighter series was perhaps prioritized following the nation’s expulsion from the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)........

© The National Interest