TR Air-Force TF-X KAAN Fighter Jet

[Spitfire9]

Been trying to find this figure for so long, thank you so much

Thanks. It is speculative. I think I read it on a forum devoted to Tempest/GCAP.

Dating back to 2020 - before the Tempest programme link up with Japan - here is a RR press release webpage which might be of interest.

Rolls-Royce develops world-first electrical technology for next-generation Tempest programme

Rolls-Royce develops world-first electrical technology for next-generation Tempest programme

www.rolls-royce.com

Whether that technology will be transferred into a Japanese design based engine I do not know.

PS

DSEI Japan 2023: IHI, Rolls-Royce progress GCAP fighter engine

Japan's IHI Corporation and the UK's Rolls-Royce have initiated development of the engine that will power the proposed future fighter aircraft under the Global Combat...

www.janes.com

While the GCAP programme has not yet been launched (a yes/no decision to choose a design and take it to production is 1-2 years away), the aim is to produce a prototype engine by the late 2020's and have the engine used in the fighter by the mid-2030's. So, around 10 more years before it goes into production. I appreciate that TEI will be aiming at a lower level of technology with TF35K. Can a finalised TF35K be tested, certified and put into production in the next 5 years? I don't suppose that is actually critical since it is not the only engine that can be used to power the KAAN.

PPS

Any news on Azerbaijan, Pakistan involvement?

 

[Merzifonlu]

Can a finalised TF35K be tested, certified and put into production in the next 5 years?

Only (and maybe) tested in the next 5 years. No certified and no put into production.

It all depends on the developments in the TF-6k engine. IMO, If TF-6k engine produces at least 4500+ lb thrust on its first ignition and the TF-6k program goes very very smoothly, then the TF-35k engine will be fired for the first time towards the end of 2028.

PPS: No news yet.

 

[Spitfire9]

Only (and maybe) tested in the next 5 years. No certified and no put into production.

It all depends on the developments in the TF-6k engine. IMO, If TF-6k engine produces at least 4500+ lb thrust on its first ignition and the TF-6k program goes very very smoothly, then the TF-35k engine will be fired for the first time towards the end of 2028.

PPS: No news yet.

My apologies. I was confused by thinking that plan was for the engine to be integrated on the KAAN in 2028 and to fly that year. I await seeing what results are shown by the TF6000 when it is run.

Just a thought: the KAAN might fly before the Indian AMCA prototype construction and testing programme gets the go ahead - yet both programmes started in the same year!

 

[Rodeo]

My apologies. I was confused by thinking that plan was for the engine to be integrated on the KAAN in 2028 and to fly that year. I await seeing what results are shown by the TF6000 when it is run.

The engine's integration to KAAN in 2028 is the current official schedule(per Mr. Temel Kotil).

However, the schedule @Merzifonlu gave is closer to the reality, imho.

 

[Merzifonlu]

In fact, I think that the TF-35k engine will be integrated into Kaan immediately after the first ignition and the Kaan prototype that will fly with that engine will be flown as Kaan unmanned.

Since our schedule is very tight, I think both the TF-6k and TF-35k engines will be integrated into the drones immediately after the first ignition and tested that way. So we will use slightly different procedures than standard testing procedures.

And yes, I think TAI CEO Dr. Temel Kotil is speaking too optimistically. The TF-35k engine can be integrated into the unmanned Kaan prototype, in my opinion, in the second quarter of 2029 at the earliest.

 

[Zafer]

Kaan is a twin engine plane equipped with an ejection seat. It can fly with an engine out by design. TF35k can fly on Kaan and fly Kaan to safety when a foreign engine goes dead.

 

[Merzifonlu]

Kaan is a twin engine plane equipped with an ejection seat. It can fly with an engine out by design. TF35k can fly on Kaan and fly Kaan to safety when a foreign engine goes dead.

Yes, of course. But by flying unmanned, you get a lot of flight hours. That's why I think tests will be done with unmanned aircraft.

 

[MADDOG]

Newly released footage from TF-X's assembly & system integration phase. Taken months ago.

Center fuselage, aft of the turtle neck of the Hürjet

Hürjet's canopy frame. Pictured inside the assembly facility.

 

[BalkanTurk90]

Newly released footage from TF-X's assembly & system integration phase. Taken months

View attachment 61924



- Is that SmartWatch ?
And he is inside TAI !?
Did he not know that those smartwatches can be used to spy
Where is security ?

 

[MADDOG]

via @perses on Twitter

 

[Spitfire9]

Annual inflation is reported to be 61.5%. In Europe it is more like 5%. It looks like the government is spectacularly incompetent at managing the economy. Will foreign countries be put off getting involved in the KAAN project?

Would I invest in a venture in Turkiye which has an insane level of inflation? Almost certainly not. Would I invest in a venture with the Turkish government? Certainly not.

Türkiye sees investor return, says concerns over new program ‘baseless’

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said Wednesday that concerns about the continuity of Türkiye’s new economic plan were unfounded,...

www.dailysabah.com

 

[Bogeyman]

Annual inflation is reported to be 61.5%. In Europe it is more like 5%. It looks like the government is spectacularly incompetent at managing the economy. Will foreign countries be put off getting involved in the KAAN project?

Would I invest in a venture in Turkiye which has an insane level of inflation? Almost certainly not. Would I invest in a venture with the Turkish government? Certainly not.

Türkiye sees investor return, says concerns over new program ‘baseless’

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said Wednesday that concerns about the continuity of Türkiye’s new economic plan were unfounded,...

www.dailysabah.com

What does the bad state of the Turkish economy have to do with the Kaan project? Last time I checked, the economy wasn't so bad that I couldn't finance the Kaan project. In fact, recently the total fund allocated for the defense industry was around 40 billion dollars. So what has you so excited?

 

[Joe mark]

Annual inflation is reported to be 61.5%. In Europe it is more like 5%. It looks like the government is spectacularly incompetent at managing the economy. Will foreign countries be put off getting involved in the KAAN project?

Would I invest in a venture in Turkiye which has an insane level of inflation? Almost certainly not. Would I invest in a venture with the Turkish government? Certainly not.

Türkiye sees investor return, says concerns over new program ‘baseless’

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said Wednesday that concerns about the continuity of Türkiye’s new economic plan were unfounded,...

www.dailysabah.com

Who told you that Türkiye is looking for investors in the project?
Do not worry, because this project is crucial for Turkey and it will be completed

 

[Rodeo]

Annual inflation is reported to be 61.5%. In Europe it is more like 5%. It looks like the government is spectacularly incompetent at managing the economy. Will foreign countries be put off getting involved in the KAAN project?

Would I invest in a venture in Turkiye which has an insane level of inflation? Almost certainly not. Would I invest in a venture with the Turkish government? Certainly not.

Türkiye sees investor return, says concerns over new program ‘baseless’

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said Wednesday that concerns about the continuity of Türkiye’s new economic plan were unfounded,...

www.dailysabah.com

It's irrelevant if there are foreign investors or not. The money is already earmarked. We do not count on others to fund the most important project in the history of the republic.

 

[Baryshx]

Annual inflation is reported to be 61.5%. In Europe it is more like 5%. It looks like the government is spectacularly incompetent at managing the economy. Will foreign countries be put off getting involved in the KAAN project?

Would I invest in a venture in Turkiye which has an insane level of inflation? Almost certainly not. Would I invest in a venture with the Turkish government? Certainly not.

Türkiye sees investor return, says concerns over new program ‘baseless’

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said Wednesday that concerns about the continuity of Türkiye’s new economic plan were unfounded,...

www.dailysabah.com

Good thing you're not involved in the Kaan project

 

[boredaf]

Will foreign countries be put off getting involved in the KAAN project?

What a weird thing to say. It's not like a Western power was looking to invest into Kaan as a partner but might be put off by the state of the economy. That is never going to happen. Countries that might invest in it either don't have any other realistic alternative for a 5th gen fighter, like Azerbaijan, or have so much money that they don't really care about wasting/losing some, like Gulf states. For both of those categories, we are the only choice for a 5th gen fighter without cutting ties with the West altogether and going all in on China.

 

[karakova]

You need a robust economy for a robust defense undustry, this starts at being able to finance the project and ends at the well being of the engineers who work on it.
Imagine your salary is eroding every passing day due to high inflation and your skills are highly sought after somewhere else with better economy, the temptation is big to accept an offer. Economy and politics are very relevant in this topic.
Strange that you even ask such a question.

Yes inflation is problem but economy grow...revenues , incomes growth...Turkey is not experiencing high inflation for the first time

Turkish economy can finance much more project...We are still underspending defense

Defense spending for 2024 still under 1.5% GDP

 

[Bogeyman]

You need a robust economy for a robust defense undustry, this starts at being able to finance the project and ends at the well being of the engineers who work on it.
Imagine your salary is eroding every passing day due to high inflation and your skills are highly sought after somewhere else with better economy, the temptation is big to accept an offer. Economy and politics are very relevant in this topic.
Strange that you even ask such a question.

What is really strange is that you are making insinuations about the project that are not based on concrete figures, while the budget allocated for the project is obvious and the total funds allocated for the defense industry are increasing every year. Engineers' preferences concern engineers. This is mostly related to the company's employment policy. By the way, migrating to Europe is not just an economic issue. Sinan Şal from TEI announced in his broadcast that 8 of the 10 engineer friends who left had returned to Turkey. When you are unfamiliar with the issue, I guess it seems normal to make such strange comments.

 

[MADDOG]

TAI CEO Prof. Dr. Temel Kotil:

"I hope KAAN will fly at the end of this year. We are making a very special effort for it. I visited KAAN when I came to the company this morning, visiting the aircraft has become a habit. It is going well, hopefully we will get to keep our promise by the end of the year.

It passed static tests and load tests. Extra equipment is being placed inside. Landing gears will be installed. There were landing gears before, but this time the airworthy landing gears will be installed. All our efforts are underway to see KAAN in the skies on our 100th anniversary."

-Via SST

 

[Spitfire9]

Who told you that Türkiye is looking for investors in the project?
Do not worry, because this project is crucial for Turkey and it will be completed

The aviation press told me.

ANKARA, Turkey — The first aircraft of Turkey’s indigenous fighter program, the TF-X, sits in a hangar ahead of its maiden flight at the end of the year. But fiscal problems could stand in the way of its success, according to an analyst, even as the country’s president seeks partners for the program.

The Turkish economy is experiencing high inflation, and the country’s external debt reached nearly $476 billion in March. The international insurance company Allianz Trade reported the stock of total external debt due within the next 12 months has risen to about $250 billion.


“Inevitably, the TF-X program will face financial difficulties in line with the country’s economic situation,” Ozgur Eksi, a defense analyst in Ankara, told Defense News.

However, Turkey is seeking foreign partners, which could lessen its own financial burden in regard to the program.

Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said Aug. 14 Pakistan was about to sign an agreement to participate in the development of the fifth-generation fighter. “Friendly and brotherly countries are also making efforts to become partners in this project. An agreement was signed with Azerbaijan. There are other countries that are also about to sign, like Pakistan,” Guler said.

Turkey seeks partners for TF-X fighter program amid fiscal uncertainty

The Turkish economy is experiencing high inflation, and the country’s external debt reached nearly $476 billion in March.

www.defensenews.com

PS Something that friendly countries could do is to indicate the level of orders they might place. Non-commital memoranda of understanding would be helpful.