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I think the Turkish Air Force and (maybe in the future) the naval air force will be top tier users. All remaining users are second tier. Just like any other combatant aircraft developer country. This doesn't mean that there won't be extensive off-set agreements, even off-site level maintenance works can be given, it also depends on the industrial capacities of the countries. But core information security should not be threatened.
So a buyer may want the best deal when buying, but how can you give something that is not there? Then the business models will go beyond an aircraft deal to include facility investment support, training and industrial engineering. Documentation and training for each new user will take years, let alone industrial partnership. Also reverse engineering issue, is not as simle as it is portrayed. If you give the KAAN to Arabs today, there is nothing they can do, at most they can have a consultancy of former US Air Force officers examine the aircraft, and that's it. Remember when state-of-art soviet MiG that landed in Trabzon in '89. My Arab brothers reading this post, please do not take offense, but approach the subject with some engineering logic not a fantasy world.
If Turkiye sees this aircraft as a joint fighter jet and its next step is planned, the most that can happen is something close to the F-16 business model. Over the years, many F-16 assembly plants have been established around the world, with the exception of the US, only two of them have moved out of the final assembly line and turned into real production centers, TAI and KAI. To some extent, this is in line with the US global projection before 2000s. Even that took years.
Apart from that, one of the biggest advantage of KAAN, countries will be able to get fully customized configurations. Which I think is a huge competitive advantage in the fifth generation. But even there, a country that can use this advantage to the fullest must have a really good air force tradition so that own doctrines, combat experience and aviation school, which I can't think of, except for Pakistan. Pakistan’s AF background and established industrial experience naturally place it among the countries most likely to get the most from the possible partnership. The downside is that financing options are limited and the political terrain is slippery.
In short, just as the French sell the Rafale and the US sells the F-15, TAI will be offering a new generation jet to the international market for the first time with a highly flexible business model. In addition, the initial acquisition cost, if not the financing, will be lower compared to equivalent aircraft, and as if that were not enough, every system and weapon required will be integrated for the use of the operator country as long as there are no problems with third parties. There are also political issues. The US arms lobby has a big stranglehold on the foreign policies of many countries. When you don't want to buy US weapons and want to move towards different aviation standards, this turns into political pressure. In this sense, Turkiye can create a safe route for many countries.
My last word is about KAAN's position in the Turkish defense industry. There is no doubt that the total engineering value, patents, and the contribution of dozens of systems developed within the scope of this program to the Turkish industry as a whole make KAAN a mega engineering project of our country. However, I believe that we have more of niche, but technologically more critical projects that need to be keep confidential all cost. For this reason, I do not find it very objectionable for us to create a flexible line sufficient to outsource the cost of this mega project.
So a buyer may want the best deal when buying, but how can you give something that is not there? Then the business models will go beyond an aircraft deal to include facility investment support, training and industrial engineering. Documentation and training for each new user will take years, let alone industrial partnership. Also reverse engineering issue, is not as simle as it is portrayed. If you give the KAAN to Arabs today, there is nothing they can do, at most they can have a consultancy of former US Air Force officers examine the aircraft, and that's it. Remember when state-of-art soviet MiG that landed in Trabzon in '89. My Arab brothers reading this post, please do not take offense, but approach the subject with some engineering logic not a fantasy world.
If Turkiye sees this aircraft as a joint fighter jet and its next step is planned, the most that can happen is something close to the F-16 business model. Over the years, many F-16 assembly plants have been established around the world, with the exception of the US, only two of them have moved out of the final assembly line and turned into real production centers, TAI and KAI. To some extent, this is in line with the US global projection before 2000s. Even that took years.
Apart from that, one of the biggest advantage of KAAN, countries will be able to get fully customized configurations. Which I think is a huge competitive advantage in the fifth generation. But even there, a country that can use this advantage to the fullest must have a really good air force tradition so that own doctrines, combat experience and aviation school, which I can't think of, except for Pakistan. Pakistan’s AF background and established industrial experience naturally place it among the countries most likely to get the most from the possible partnership. The downside is that financing options are limited and the political terrain is slippery.
In short, just as the French sell the Rafale and the US sells the F-15, TAI will be offering a new generation jet to the international market for the first time with a highly flexible business model. In addition, the initial acquisition cost, if not the financing, will be lower compared to equivalent aircraft, and as if that were not enough, every system and weapon required will be integrated for the use of the operator country as long as there are no problems with third parties. There are also political issues. The US arms lobby has a big stranglehold on the foreign policies of many countries. When you don't want to buy US weapons and want to move towards different aviation standards, this turns into political pressure. In this sense, Turkiye can create a safe route for many countries.
My last word is about KAAN's position in the Turkish defense industry. There is no doubt that the total engineering value, patents, and the contribution of dozens of systems developed within the scope of this program to the Turkish industry as a whole make KAAN a mega engineering project of our country. However, I believe that we have more of niche, but technologically more critical projects that need to be keep confidential all cost. For this reason, I do not find it very objectionable for us to create a flexible line sufficient to outsource the cost of this mega project.
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