TR Air-Force TF-X KAAN Fighter Jet

[dBSPL]

Ever since I learned about the conops regarding MALD and similar things, I'm pretty convinced that those will be very influential in air warfare. After all, all warfare is deception. If we have a device that can successfully mimic F-16 signature, it would be a huge asset. Just think about it, release a few from an Akıncı, and you have a phantom squadron appearing on the map that forces the enemy to react. If they are smaller, it gets much more complicated for the enemy. Now think about having hundreds of them... This has very serious implications both with regards to SEAD/DEAD and air-to-air operations.

I wonder how feasible is it to transport those to the theater via a cheaper alternative, and how viable is it to make that alternative stealth... In other words, can we see loyal wingmen/decoy UAVs deployed from internal bays. It would require a bomber aircraft most likely.

There is a serious interest especially on the US side, in recoverable, low-cost, maneuverable UAVs with advanced flight controls and navigation systems, and they have invested in many projects under DARPA. The project that particularly interested me was Dynetics' Gremlin concept. The mid-air recoverable target made this project quite recognizable, but I think the main thing was the desire to create a system that could be used with different payloads in both saturation and special mission profiles with these aircraft produced at the lowest possible cost, so that the US air force could release this system by the dozen from the aft ramp of cargo planes.

I am not a flight dynamics expert, but in my limited knowledge, I see the Super Lightning airframe as an extremely agile drone if have proper jet engines that can mimic the maneuvers of combat aircraft. The range problem can be solved by carrying it under the wing. As far as I know, these drones also have a parachute system. At the end of the day, it is basically a more flexible and versatile system by combining target aircraft with propelled ew systems like MALD, or high speed loitering munitions.

TAI was not able to sell enough target aircraft to the air force because the air force shoots down targets tied to the back of the target aircraft, but as soon as you move this to a combat area, there will be a very serious demand for it. lol.

 

[Huelague]

I learned an interesting fact right now.
If US doesnt give us the engines, we will use existing ones on F-16.

 

[Huelague]

Temil Kotil sharing more good news
Domestic ejection seat is coming soon and rec9nfirms that KAAN will be delivered by 2028 to the TAF
God bless that man

TAI General Manager Temel Kotil:
>Turkish engine is coming to KAAN in 2028.
>We, as TAI, will also build the ejection seat. He will come before. It will be 100% Turkish made.
>The 20 KAANs to be delivered in 2028 will be slightly larger than the F-16s. It has more modern systems than the F-35. They do not give F-35s to friendly countries. Then their only plane was KAAN.
>In 2030-2032, we will have aircraft that will meet the needs of 2-3 countries.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1761312329403093372

Kaan will be slightly better than F-16???

 

[Radko]

Kaan will be slightly better than F-16???

General population knows the F-16, it is to give context

 

[Quasar]

I learned an interesting fact right now.
If US doesnt give us the engines, we will use existing ones on F-16.

unfortunatly not because of the engine layout ( directions of fuel pump....etc) you need one right and one left engine and no engine blades doesnt need to turn to opposite directions

 

[Radko]

unfortunatly not because of the engine layout ( directions of fuel pump....etc) you need one right and one left engine and no engine blades doesnt need to turn to opposite directions

thats just BS

 

[Huelague]

unfortunatly not because of the engine layout ( directions of fuel pump....etc) you need one right and one left engine and no engine blades doesnt need to turn to opposite directions

Its not about layout, its a kind of reinsurance, until our engine is ready.

 

[Baryshx]

6th Gen will probably come with
Advanced propulsion, variable bypass design, and CMC turbine blades
Galium oxide radars
Wideband RF and IR stealth
Advanced networking (LEO SAT constellation), data fusion, and MUM-T
Aerodynamic design without vertical stabilizers
Increased power production (1MW)
High-powered laser.

Real 6th-gen fighters will most likely come with these features meanwhile there will be 5.5th-gen fighters that will have some of them.

I think the most important thing for 6th Gen will be more use of artificial intelligence. There will be less work for the pilot. This would be a great preparation for the 7th Gen unmanned airplane.

 

[Baryshx]

I think the most important thing for 6th Gen will be more use of artificial intelligence. There will be less work for the pilot. This would be a great preparation for the 7th Gen unmanned airplane.

I forgot to write about quantum radars. 7th gen maybe come with quantum radars. This means a serious problem for stealth airplanes.

 

[Quasar]

I think the most important thing for 6th Gen will be more use of artificial intelligence. There will be less work for the pilot. This would be a great preparation for the 7th Gen unmanned airplane.

for me the most important feature of NGAD distinguishing it from the rest and hardest to achieve will be the potential breakthrough in altitude & networking range

 

[Rodeo]

https://x.com/clashreport/status/1761460621139202197?s=09

It looks normal now. four countries are listed and one of them Turkiye.

 

[dBSPL]

A work that stirs emotions. Only a few years from now we will see an elephant march with the first block of KAANs.

I wish I could dig through the net archives and show you the topics discussed in the defense forums around 2000-2004 and how modest the dreams of the community were compared to today...

Yes, we are at the beginning, but just getting to the beginning of the track is an extraordinary achievement. It's a challenge that will probably be told for generations...

 

[Huelague]

Some interesting explanations

 

[TheInsider]

TAI should develop an external stealth fuel tank for KAAN. This will minimize the need for air refueling and extend the range of the fighter.

 

[what]

Lets focus on the product and development, keep the social media and Wikipedia noise out of here.

 

[IC3M@N FX]

TAI should develop an external stealth fuel tank for KAAN. This will minimize the need for air refueling and extend the range of the fighter.

That makes no sense....
In the future, a drone should be developed in parallel that only functions as a refueling drone.
It would then wait at a specific flight point and refuel the aircraft, which is simply much more efficient and cheaper.
A very Large Turboprob HALE Drone without any special features would also suffice, which only needs to be able to take off and land automatically and fly from A to B as a flight point.
Perhaps with AWACS features could even be built into the drone, giving it an additional function.
The pilot then simply enters the access codes and the drone refuels the aircraft.
This would allow the range to be increased dynamically and the fighter aircraft would not have to forego their stealth characteristics in combat operations.

 

[Spitfire9]

Temil Kotil sharing more good news
Domestic ejection seat is coming soon and rec9nfirms that KAAN will be delivered by 2028 to the TAF
God bless that man

TAI General Manager Temel Kotil:
>Turkish engine is coming to KAAN in 2028.
>We, as TAI, will also build the ejection seat. He will come before. It will be 100% Turkish made.

>I think that the chances of a 35,000 lb thrust domestic engine being ready in 2028 are extremely low.

 

[Fuzuli NL]

Where is DefenceHub ?
Didnt we push them?

I was wondering why the angry emoji first on dbspl's post. Now I know..

 

[Huelague]

>I think that the chances of a 35,000 lb thrust domestic engine being ready in 2028 are extremely low.

Like a flying Kaan prototype in 2024?

 

[Rooxbar]

Like a flying Kaan prototype in 2024?

not comparable imo. I think the chances of a 35,000 lb thrust domestic engine being ready in 2028 are almost zero. Maybe the core of a souped up F110 can be ready which probs would be close to 35k lb thrust (considering what was achievable with F110-GE-132), but that's the extent of it.