TR Air-Force TF-X KAAN Fighter Jet

[IC3M@N FX]

TAI TF Kaan: Turkey's New Stealth Fighter Could Become a Big Failure

Summary: Turkey’s TAI TF Kaan, a 5th-generation fighter jet prototype, successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a milestone for the Turkish defense industry. Despite this achievement, the TF Kaan program faces significant challenges and operational capability remains years away...

nationalinterest.org

 

[dBSPL]

Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of Defense Industries, met with the test pilots and the project team after the first flight of the National Fighter Aircraft KAAN

SSB President Görgün: "Our work is just beginning. Today is a milestone, the beginning of our new goals"

KAAN's Pilot Barbaros Demirbaş: "If we have lifted the plane, we will fly it, if we have flown it, we will land it, and if we have landed it, we will stop it. We did the mission safely."

Within the scope of the National Combat Aircraft KAAN Project, which was initiated by the Presidency of the Presidency of Defense Industries in order to meet the combat aircraft needs of the Air Force Command and developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the first flight was successfully carried out.

After the first flight, Görgün met with the Test Pilots and the Project Team, congratulated the team and noted that this success is just the beginning, and that we have a busy period ahead of us on the road to our goals.

The production activities of KAAN, which has all the capabilities of the 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft, such as high maneuverability, low radar visibility, avionic architecture open to development, increased situational awareness, precision targeting and interoperability, started in March 2022.

Component assemblies were completed between May and November 2022, and the final assembly line was commissioned in November 2022. Following the intensive system tests carried out in December 2022 and January 2023, the aircraft exited the hangar ahead of schedule on February 10, 2023, and the first engine start-up was carried out on February 12, 2023.

On March 17, 2023, the first slow taxi tests were successfully completed, and pre-flight tests were completed by carrying out the necessary reinforcement activities until the first flight.

In addition, for the configuration to be delivered to the Air Force Command, aircraft and system requirements were defined, air and system functions were determined and the preliminary design phase was completed.

KAAN made its first flight today, staying in the air for 13 minutes and reaching an altitude of 8000 feet and a speed of 230 knots.

(cited from Savunma SanayiST)

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1760334242213466596

 

[Afif]

I truly congratulate the Turkish nation
A feat that will be recorded in history and above all, haters are burning red on social media, loooool

When even Erdogan is having fun with KAAN's first flight

What did they say? They can't. Despite these self-confidence poor people, indigestionists who say that its part looks like a radiator, and despite the collaborators who tried to sabotage the KAAN project from the first moment, our national combat aircraft met the skies today, thank God.

— President Erdogan

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1760271829841616987

I think contemporary Turkish government will take a lot of credits for KAAN specifically, and for overall success of Turkish defence industry as it progress forward. Of course they didn't make it, it's those engineers and technicians working day and night relentlessly. Nor was it made possible by the politicians own money. It's all state funds that made it possible. To put it simply, Of the people, by the people, for the people.

But then, it is not like many countries doesn't have talents or enough resources. They do actually, but why isn't many more 5th gen fighters out there? Because in the end they didn't had the persistent & firm political will at the top. We may don't like the politicians (and rightly so) but then, they also run our country, literally the whole state. In the end, their decision making and ability to organize something that massive, makes magnitudes of difference. So, credit where it's due.

 

[Iskander]

IMO, Kaan will not be produced in large quantities like the F-16 due to manufacturing and operating costs. IMO, we need another fighter that is suitable for mass production and is cost-effective.

This fighter: 1) capable of controlling drones, i.e. double seated, 2) stealth&navalize, 3) must be single engine.

Let's assume that 200-250 KAAN is enough for Türkiye. Producing such a small quantity is very expensive and not economically profitable. This means you will need to export. I think that there will be not just a lot of people who want to buy KAAN, but a lot. Even if 20 of the 50 Muslim countries buy 4 squadrons each, that’s already 1000 aircraft. There are many other countries to which the United States does not sell its 5th generation fighters. And so, if we exclude other conditions (financial, political), I have 1000 fighters. And I agree with your opinion regarding the single-engine fighter.

It seems like this has never happened here before - Photo from The War Zone

 

[Oublious]

I was so happy at work when i read the news and saw the video, i was flying on the ground .

 

[Merzifonlu]

Where is Dr. Temel Kotil? I couldn't see him anywhere.

 

[dBSPL]

Where is Dr. Temel Kotil? I couldn't see him anywhere.

Presumably, he was at a special event as the guest of honor of the Ankara branch of Baklava producers. KAAN is the world's first baklava empowered fighter jet development, no irony.

All joking aside, Kotil has not been as much in the media lately as he used to be. But the fact that he was so much in the background on this historic day is a question mark in my mind too. I hope it is not a problem with his health and the programs were planned in this way.

 

[Angry Turk !!!]

A

A feat that will be recorded in history and above all, haters are burning red on social media, loooool

Yeah, you should see the cope on reddit.

 

[Rodeo]

Turkey’s Kaan Next-Generation Fighter Has Flown

The TF Kaan is the latest and most impressive expression of Turkey’s increasingly ambitious military aerospace industry.

www.twz.com

 

[DBdev]

Cem Dogut's 4k shot is AI denoised, upscaled by me to 178 megapixel and then compressed to 5 MB View attachment 65806

 

[I_Love_F16]

A

Yeah, you should see the cope on reddit.

Heh, haters gonna hate, what can we do ? Even if we somehow have the ability to build an intergalactic spatial ship, these clowns will still find a way to criticize.

 

[Holikarbon]

Where is Dr. Temel Kotil? I couldn't see him anywhere.

Temel KOTİL is currently in Germany.

 

[Holikarbon]

A

Evet, reddit'te başlığı görmelisin.

Lnk?

 

[IC3M@N FX]

Temel KOTİL is currently in Germany.

Why?

 

[Radko]

Turkey’s Kaan Next-Generation Fighter Has Flown

The TF Kaan is the latest and most impressive expression of Turkey’s increasingly ambitious military aerospace industry.

www.twz.com

lol he is trying everything to claim that Kaan is not stealth but "reduced observability aircraft". Tüm tuşlara basmayın be a*q ahahaha

 

[dBSPL]

Let's assume that 200-250 KAAN is enough for Türkiye. Producing such a small quantity is very expensive and not economically profitable. This means you will need to export. I think that there will be not just a lot of people who want to buy KAAN, but a lot. Even if 20 of the 50 Muslim countries buy 4 squadrons each, that’s already 1000 aircraft. There are many other countries to which the United States does not sell its 5th generation fighters. And so, if we exclude other conditions (financial, political), I have 1000 fighters. And I agree with your opinion regarding the single-engine fighter.

It seems like this has never happened here before - Photo from The War Zone

View attachment 65808

I estimate that around +350 airframes will be produced in different configurations to serve in the Turkish Armed Forces, and I estimate that will be able to serve in the air forces of at least 5-6 different countries. In addition, I consider TAI officials statements that 'we have started 6th generation studies' as an extension of the KAAN program, in other words, I predict that a smooth transition to the next-nextgen jet is planned. I mean, almost every technology will be applicable in KAAN first until the need to change the airframe.

 

[Oublious]

Everybody quiettt..

 

[infrared]

Turkey’s Kaan Next-Generation Fighter Has Flown

The TF Kaan is the latest and most impressive expression of Turkey’s increasingly ambitious military aerospace industry.

www.twz.com

I am so happy i didnt even realize the irst and eots enclosures were missing until i read the article

 

[Sanchez]

"Let them embarrass me if they can, I'll be satisfied."

I wrote this back in 2018 on TF-X. And today, I am so, so happy to be proven wrong and embarrassed. What a great day to be alive to have witnessed this event, even though I had to be away for the day and keep my excitement to myself while viewing the videos on mute. Those young engineers and technicians who gave their all to make this thing fly and land safely have the gratitude of this country on their hands.

Hard part is complete, now to the harder parts, it's just beginning.

Look at this big boy!

 

[Soldier30]

The first flight of the Turkish prototype of the fifth generation fighter KAAN took place today. The KAAN fighter has been developed by Turk Ucak Sanayi since 2017. The KAAN fighter should replace the American-made Turkish F-16 fighters and may compete with the F-35 and F-22 aircraft. The Ukrainian Air Force also plans to purchase the KAAN fighter. It is worth noting that the development of the fighter will continue until 2028, then they plan to begin its serial production. Developers need to improve the active phased array radar and aircraft engines. At the moment, the aircraft cannot carry out supersonic flight at cruising speed; engine development is one of the most difficult stages in the development of the aircraft. The flight of the KAAN fighter lasted 13 minutes, it reached an altitude of 2400 meters and a speed of 425 km/h.