TR Air-Force TF-X KAAN Fighter Jet

[Afif]

Egypt is expected to join the KAAN project after the Chinese reluctance to provide J-35 to Egypt. China values its relationship with Israel.

I don't think that's the case. More likely there isn't enough trust with Egypt to provide them with high end sensitive technology. Türkiye shouldn't accept them into KAAN either.

 

[Pokemonte13]

Quick question do you guys think ones the f16s reach the age limit in 2035-40 we will replace them with hürjet I mean it can do most of the job like low cost option or maybe with baykars 20 thousand pound engine it will be a Turkish f18

 

[IC3M@N FX]

It is only a matter of time before Egypt and the UAE stab Turkey in the back again. Anyone who has been watching closely over the past few years can see a pattern: they play the partner card as long as it suits them, and then switch sides as soon as they think they can get more elsewhere. This has nothing to do with loyalty; it's simply power politics – but in their case, it takes on an almost shameless form.

The regimes in Cairo, Abu Dhabi, and elsewhere have perfected the art of signing agreements only to break them without a word at the next opportunity. Trust is in short supply in this "Arab family" anyway – they can't even rely on each other, and they all know it. Everyone is just waiting to take advantage of the others.

Anyone who fails to understand this should take a look at history and see how many such agreements became worthless in no time at all when it served a short-term advantage. Sharing high technology or entering into strategic partnerships with such people is naive and extremely dangerous.

You can sugarcoat it, talk about "rapprochement" and proclaim a "new era," but that doesn't change the fact that they remain unreliable opportunists who won't hesitate for a second to throw any agreement out the window if they think it will serve them better.

And that's not an insult – it's a sober description of their political behavior.

 

[Radko]

I think that's for FRP.

We shouldn't expect more than 20 for B10. We won't see more than a squadron before 2032-33. Production until new engine arrives will be a very slow LRIP production to get the first units out, further develop, keep the lights on.

10 Block 10s

 

[Huelague]

AKP trolls are the same like their employers in AKP itself- first you throw spit at someone and burn all bridges towards them, then on the next day you lick the same place you spitted at and try to sell your ass to them.

A year ago Egypt and Sisi were enemies to Turkey but now you are willing to give your ass to them and act as they are our best friends.

Put your aversion aside. Thats how politics works. No permanent friendships or foes. Just interests.
Don't take It personality.

 

[Sanchez]

It is only a matter of time before Egypt and the UAE stab Turkey in the back again

People easily forget of course that it wasn't UAE and Egypt that changed its policies, it was Turkey. Rapprochement started with Erdogan government changing its regional politics, not the other way around. Neither Egypt nor UAE changed their sides or leanings re Turkey; they stay as they are.

-
Semi related to Kaan and greater defence relations between the two.
"- one on mutual protection of classified info in their defence industries "

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1945512885418860744

 

[Strong AI]

Semi related to Kaan and greater defence relations between the two.
"- one on mutual protection of classified info in their defence industries "

Halcon?

 

[boredaf]

KAAN’da hedef Block 30'da yerli motor | SavunmaSanayiST

Savunma Sanayii Başkanı Haluk Görgün, milli muharip uçak KAAN’ın test süreci ve üretim planlamasına ilişkin detayları açıkladı.

www.savunmasanayist.com

KAAN aims domestically produced engines in Block 30

The first prototype of KAAN was produced and flew twice. In other words, we've become a country that has produced a self-flying fighter jet. Of course, that first flight was a great source of motivation, excitement, happiness, and pride for all of us. But of course, it doesn't end there. Just flying that plane isn't enough.

Haluk Görgün stated that simply flying the aircraft is not enough, and that the integration of many subsystems such as radar, electro-optical systems, mission computers and weapon systems is required.

"The subsystems that will be integrated as a whole, their mission computers, and the weapon systems that will be integrated into the aircraft. These weapon systems are so diverse, including air-to-air munitions, air-to-ground munitions, and so on. When all of these are completed in an integrated manner, we will have completed KAAN and be delivering it to the inventory. We have now initiated each of these and are continuing."

Haluk Görgün explained that the capabilities of the aircraft produced in the subsequent phases of KAAN will vary, and that the plan is to enter service with aircraft powered by domestically produced engines at the Block 30 and Block 40 levels.

“After these initial prototypes, we will, of course, be delivering a few more of these aircraft. The capabilities and competencies of the aircraft in each phase will differ. Therefore, some aircraft will be used in certain environments. But when we finally reach the Block 30 and Block 40 levels, we will have installed, produced, and are flying our domestically produced engine.”

 

[fushkee]

This means a delay on the domestic engine.

 

[Zafer]

Block 30 and biock 40 would be with domestic engine as the engine will have likely been matured by then. However earlier stages will need to go with the best engine available at the time. If foreign engine is better then foreign and if early Kaan engine is better then national engine would be used.

 

[TheInsider]

This means a delay on the domestic engine.

No. Expected dates of different blocks are Block 10 in 2028, Block 20 in 2030, Block 30 in 2032.

 

[IC3M@N FX]

Block 10 2028/29 GE F-110 Engine, "Initial Operational Capability"

Block 20 2032 with improved stealth coating + UAV teaming, including electronic maturity of the on-board systems for deployment.

Block 30 2034/35 TEI TF-35000 engine and minor to moderate improvements to both hardware and software.

Block 40 2040+ TEI TF-35000 V2 improvements in durability and operating hours + TVC (Thrust Vectoring Control).
Probably larger Gen 5.5+ upgrades to be able to compete with Gen 6 aircraft.


The defense minister is talking about delivering the first production aircraft in 2028. In my view, 2029 seems more realistic. How powerful these first aircraft will actually be is another matter entirely.

It should also be noted that the defense minister is under a great deal of pressure: results are expected of him, and he has to deliver them. He simply cannot afford to make unrealistic promises and lose face later on.

Furthermore, Block 10 and Block 20 are likely to differ only in details. The focus in the coming years will be on ironing out teething problems in the hardware and software, including optimization, the integration of UAV capabilities, and improved stealth coating. These improvements will be implemented step by step and developed in parallel.
Experience has shown that such adjustments take four to five years, as has been seen with other programs. I therefore assume that the aircraft will not reach full operational capability until later, between Block 20 and 30.

We have also discussed Block 30 for 2034/35 with the TF-35000 on several occasions. The engine is essentially based on existing F-110 technologies and will require a total of around nine to ten years of development – so it is not a completely new concept, but rather an evolutionary development, which TEI began working on in the early 2020s.

Everything concerning Block 40 and beyond is still pure speculation at this stage. However, it should be borne in mind that the first Gen 6 aircraft are also expected during this period. A software and hardware update as a mid-life upgrade in this direction is therefore less wishful thinking than a necessary further development in order to keep up with technological advances.
A TF 35000 with improved durability, TVC, and a lower heat signature is not a pipe dream, but a feasible goal in a new revision by 2040+.
Including better AESA radar, e.g., DGaN (GaN on Diamond) combined with multiband X & L, better avionics, and an EW/ECM package, these are all realistic possibilities.

The official schedule is very ambitious, but not entirely unrealistic – provided that testing is consistently parallelized and the development processes are well coordinated.
Realistically, I consider 2029 to be a more likely date for the start of Block 10 series production. Only then will it become clear how well the systems actually work in practice and to what extent the target schedule can be met.

 

[Sanchez]

It should also be noted that the defense minister is under a great deal of pressure: results are expected of him, and he has to deliver them. He simply cannot afford to make unrealistic promises and lose face later on.

Have you met Güler? He's more politician than soldier, very easy to lie, bend the truth, mince words.

 

[GoatsMilk]

People easily forget of course that it wasn't UAE and Egypt that changed its policies, it was Turkey. Rapprochement started with Erdogan government changing its regional politics, not the other way around. Neither Egypt nor UAE changed their sides or leanings re Turkey; they stay as they are.

-
Semi related to Kaan and greater defence relations between the two.
"- one on mutual protection of classified info in their defence industries "

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1945512885418860744

UAE are basically the zionists within the Islamic world. Whatever you say or do with them is relayed directly back to Isreal. But not to get political, any military dealings with these guys is basically showing Isreal your hand, your secrets.

 

[Merzifonlu]

Expected dates of different blocks are Block 10 in 2028.

End of 2028

 

[TheInsider]

End of 2028

Bruh. You don't need to correct me if you are following my posts.

 

[Merzifonlu]

Bruh. You don't need to correct me if you are following my posts.

I'm not correcting you, I'm just clarifying. Delivery will be in 2028, but it will be at the end of 2028.

 

[TheInsider]

I'm not correcting you, I'm just clarifying. Delivery will be in 2028, but it will be at the end of 2028.

It is mentioned here countless times, so everybody knows no need to write the end of 2028 every time. Besides end of 2028 is still 2028.

 

[Merzifonlu]

Everybody knows already, huh? OK.

 

[IC3M@N FX]

I find it highly unrealistic that the TAI KAAN could be delivered by the end of 2028 — even by late 2028. Of the six announced prototypes, there is still no trace — we have seen neither images of their assembly nor concrete indications of their completion, and we are already approaching August 2025.

In just about four months, it will already be 2026. Considering that a complex, unstable fighter aircraft requires several years of intensive testing, I seriously wonder when these tests are supposed to begin. Even if all six prototypes were ready to fly immediately, two and a half years would still be extremely tight for a complete and meaningful test and validation campaign.

Already during KAAN’s maiden flight, it was evident that the flight behavior was very cautious: no significant maneuvers, no sharp turns, no aggressive pitch‑up or rolls — seemingly to avoid overloading the flight control system. This suggests that the software was running in a very conservative “safe mode” during that flight, allowing only minimal movements. Unlike the Hürjet, which is aerodynamically stable by design, the KAAN is conceptually an unstable aircraft.

Such unstable designs are chosen deliberately to achieve extreme agility — but they do not maintain stable flight by themselves and must be constantly corrected by a highly sophisticated digital fly‑by‑wire system. Developing and especially fine‑tuning such a system requires a substantial amount of testing and development time.

For comparison:
– The F‑22 Raptor required around eight years from its first flight to Initial Operational Capability (IOC), despite enormous U.S. resources and experience.
– The Chinese J‑20 took about seven years to reach IOC.
– The Eurofighter Typhoon took roughly ten years from first flight to its first operational tranche.

For KAAN to reach full air superiority capability — with complex maneuvers, full weapons integration, and a reliable flight control system — a timeline of just around two and a half years seems unrealistic. Even if all six prototypes were completed immediately, they would still need to undergo parallel, intensive test programs for structure, flight dynamics, avionics, weapons, and software.

Getting an unstable fighter aircraft into the air is one thing — mastering it across its full operational spectrum with high reliability and full performance is quite another.

Therefore, I consider a cautious initial service entry (Block 10) in 2029 at the earliest to be realistic. For a mature aircraft with full operational capability (Block 20–30), one should realistically expect 2032 or later.