TR Air-Force TF-X KAAN Fighter Jet

[Sanchez]

Is this still valid?

View attachment 76661

There's no reason for APU exhaust to be that large.

 

[Strong AI]

There's no reason for APU exhaust to be that large.

Yeah, it looks like they even changed(?) its place.

 

[Hannibal]

Yeah, it looks like they even changed its place.

View attachment 76662

If the radar is only 270 degrees then the middle between the engines is either for drag chute or apu . Or they changed design.

 

[Radko]

They will have an array there.

Also IRIS-300 is the Turkish DAS

 

[hugh]

how powerful are side arrays compared to the nose mounted radar? the modules on the wings have to conform to the shape of the wing, no? so I assume they will be less powerful than MURAD-600? and will they also be X-band?

 

[Hannibal]

They will have an array there.

Also IRIS-300 is the Turkish DAS

The F-35 has no das component in the rear . How do you know this?

 

[Radko]

how powerful are side arrays compared to the nose mounted radar? the modules on the wings have to conform to the shape of the wing, no? so I assume they will be less powerful than MURAD-600? and will they also be X-band?

My guess is that they will be close to F-16s AESA

 

[hugh]

My guess is that they will be close to F-16s AESA

do we know if they will be on the wings or on the cheeks?

 

[Radko]

do we know if they will be on the wings or on the cheeks?

Cheeks

 

[Strong AI]

“Our goal is to finish the first prototype in the first quarter of next year and to start flight tests,” says TAI chief executive Mehmet Demiroglu. That aircraft will be followed by a second prototype due to get airborne in mid-2026, and then a third following early in 2027.

New Statements from Demiroğlu About KAAN!

TUSAŞ General Manager Dr. Mehmet Demiroğlu:

"In the upcoming April, we will see the first flying prototype 1, and three months after that, the second prototype will also take flight. Currently, we are working on 3 prototypes being prepared for flight."

"In addition to those, we are working on one static aircraft, making a total of 4 aircraft in development. Later, we will build 3 more. Hopefully, we will begin our first deliveries to the Turkish Air Force around 2028–2029."

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1948732316437602743

 

[Yasar_TR]

New Statements from Demiroğlu About KAAN!

TUSAŞ General Manager Dr. Mehmet Demiroğlu:

"In the upcoming April, we will see the first flying prototype 1, and three months after that, the second prototype will also take flight. Currently, we are working on 3 prototypes being prepared for flight."

"In addition to those, we are working on one static aircraft, making a total of 4 aircraft in development. Later, we will build 3 more. Hopefully, we will begin our first deliveries to the Turkish Air Force around 2028–2029."

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1948732316437602743

P1 was supposed to fly this year according to the statement he gave July last year when he took over from Kotil.

KAAN'ın diğer prototipleri daha fazla uçacak

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Fatih Demiroğlu, milli muharip uçak KAAN'ın test sürecine ilişkin açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.defenceturk.net

Now it is second quarter of next year.

One thing he is good at; each time he opens his mouth to give a date he postpones something as if it is the first time he is saying it. And nobody seems to question him.
Just this year in Technofest he said 2 KAANs will fly this year. Then in the same speech he changed it to one will fly this year the other early next year.

TUSAŞ'tan KAAN için çifte uçuş müjdesi | SavunmaSanayiST

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Demiroğlu, TEKNOFEST KKTC’de SavunmaSanayiST'ye KAAN ve HÜRJET projelerine dair açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.savunmasanayist.com

Who will believe him now???

 

[Strong AI]

P1 was supposed to fly this year according to the statement he gave July last year when he took over from Kotil.

KAAN'ın diğer prototipleri daha fazla uçacak

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Fatih Demiroğlu, milli muharip uçak KAAN'ın test sürecine ilişkin açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.defenceturk.net

Now it is second quarter of next year.

One thing he is good at; each time he opens his mouth to give a date he postpones something as if it is the first time he is saying it. And nobody seems to question him.
Just this year in Technofest he said 2 KAANs will fly this year. Then in the same speech he changed it to one will fly this year the other early next year.

TUSAŞ'tan KAAN için çifte uçuş müjdesi | SavunmaSanayiST

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Demiroğlu, TEKNOFEST KKTC’de SavunmaSanayiST'ye KAAN ve HÜRJET projelerine dair açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.savunmasanayist.com

Who will believe him now???

Official reason

We are still shooting for 2028… ish,” he says, with the exact date to be driven by factors also including the airframer’s supply chain – issues there already have seen it slip its schedule for the first prototype’s debut sortie beyond the end of this year.

 

[TheInsider]

P1 was supposed to fly this year according to the statement he gave July last year when he took over from Kotil.

KAAN'ın diğer prototipleri daha fazla uçacak

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Fatih Demiroğlu, milli muharip uçak KAAN'ın test sürecine ilişkin açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.defenceturk.net

Now it is second quarter of next year.

One thing he is good at; each time he opens his mouth to give a date he postpones something as if it is the first time he is saying it. And nobody seems to question him.
Just this year in Technofest he said 2 KAANs will fly this year. Then in the same speech he changed it to one will fly this year the other early next year.

TUSAŞ'tan KAAN için çifte uçuş müjdesi | SavunmaSanayiST

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Demiroğlu, TEKNOFEST KKTC’de SavunmaSanayiST'ye KAAN ve HÜRJET projelerine dair açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.savunmasanayist.com

Who will believe him now???

It is not that bad. Delivery at the end of 2028 was never a realistic date anyway. A delay in the delivery of a simple component can cause several weeks of delay. They were like pushing crazy counting days and weeks to arrive at the end of 2028. I don't know why, maybe because SSB is against buying Eurofighter and F-16/F-35 while MSB want to buy Eurofighter and F-16/F-35. It is to say, look, you will get the first fighter 3,5 years from now. The first half of 2029 is a realistic target.

 

[Zafer]

Who will believe him now???

It is good enough if anyone gives a ballpark date when they don't even have to, it is development work and can be vastly off and still very acceptable.

 

[Huelague]

Confirmed %100. Kaan will have 1 nose and 2 cheek AESA radars for approx 270 degree coverage. AESA radars can be utilized as jammers. Kaan will have a jammer antenna between engines that will provide additional coverage, so 360 degree jammming coverage will be achieved.

He talk about 360 degree coverage.

 

[Khagan1923]

P1 was supposed to fly this year according to the statement he gave July last year when he took over from Kotil.

KAAN'ın diğer prototipleri daha fazla uçacak

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Fatih Demiroğlu, milli muharip uçak KAAN'ın test sürecine ilişkin açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.defenceturk.net

Now it is second quarter of next year.

One thing he is good at; each time he opens his mouth to give a date he postpones something as if it is the first time he is saying it. And nobody seems to question him.
Just this year in Technofest he said 2 KAANs will fly this year. Then in the same speech he changed it to one will fly this year the other early next year.

TUSAŞ'tan KAAN için çifte uçuş müjdesi | SavunmaSanayiST

TUSAŞ Genel Müdürü Mehmet Demiroğlu, TEKNOFEST KKTC’de SavunmaSanayiST'ye KAAN ve HÜRJET projelerine dair açıklamalarda bulundu.

www.savunmasanayist.com

Who will believe him now???

P1 was also supposed to roll out in may this year and P2 at the end of the year. Couple months ago both were supposed to be on the assembly line(said so by SSB), now there is no sign of both of them. They put GTU together faster than this. You would think they would at least publish pictures of them on the line as they did with GTU, yet nothing.

This smells for me, something is up and they are pushing the dates every 2-3 months. Lets hope we actually see something towards the end of the year, if not and they continue this way something has gone tits up and they are trying to buy time.

 

[Khagan1923]

Admins/Mods before you think of deleting this, because use of AI. I asked chatgpt to use only sources and didn't ask it about its opinion, only facts with sources.

Tell me the delays of all 5th gen fighter programs before their serial production started and use only sources

Here’s a summary of the documented pre‑serial‑production delays for the major fifth‑generation fighter programs, based solely on reliable published sources:

---

F‑22 Raptor (U.S.)​

• Expected first flight: mid‑1996
• Actual first flight: 7 September 1997 → approximately 15 months delayed (WIRED, Wikipedia, GlobalSecurity)
• Manufacturing delays (wing, aft fuselage) and avionics integration issues delayed multiple test articles by up to 16.9 cumulative flight‑test months as of early 1999 (GlobalSecurity)

Total development-to‑production delay:
Although low‑rate production began around late 1998 or early 1999, key exit testing milestones were delayed by over a year, pushing official production decisions into 1999 instead of the original 1998 target. (Air & Space Forces Magazine, WorldNetDaily)

---

F‑35 Lightning II (U.S.)​

• DoD’s 2009 Joint Estimate Team estimated the F‑35 was approximately 30 months behind the original schedule (Wikipedia)
• The program was formally re‑baselined in 2011, pushing the IOC from an initial 2010 target to July 2015 (Wikipedia)

Total delay before full-rate production: ~2.5–3 years late before entering full-rate production (Milestone C) in March 2024 (Government Accountability Office, Defence Blog, Simple Flying)

---

Sukhoi Su‑57 “Felon” (Russia)​

• First flight occurred on 29 January 2010, but serial production originally planned for 2015 was repeatedly postponed to 2020, then 2027 or later (GovInfo)
• Contract signed in 2018 for first serial units with delivery delayed—first expected by end 2020—followed by slipped timelines; serial production pushed to 2027 (The Aviationist, blogbeforeflight.net, Army Recognition)

Estimated cumulative delay: ~5 to 7 years from the originally expected 2015 production start to now foreseen around 2027.

---

Chengdu J‑20 “Mighty Dragon” (China)​

• Initial official service entry was forecast between 2017 and 2019, but actual low‑rate initial production (LRIP) only began in late‑2015, with IOC starting around 2017 (Wikipedia)
• Development challenges with the indigenous WS‑15 engine caused ongoing tech delays that persisted into 2020 and beyond, with final engine validation only completed in March 2022 (Wikipedia)

Estimated delay length: ~1 to 2 years relative to mid‑2017 target IOC; full serial production timeline remains less transparent.

---

Sukhoi Su‑75 “Checkmate” (Russia)​

• Revealed in 2021 with initial production expected in 2025 and deliveries in 2026–2027, but serial production has now been pushed back to 2027 due to sanctions and design/documentation delays (Wikipedia, AeroTime, Army Recognition)

Estimated delay: ~2 years from 2025 target to current 2027 projection.

---

Summary Table​

Fighter	Originally Expected Serial Production Start	Actual / Current Estimate	Approximate Delay
F‑22 Raptor	~1998	~1999–2000	~1 year
F‑35	~2010 (IOC/full‑rate)	~2015 (IOC), full‑rate in 2024	~2½–3 years before IOC/~14 years before full‑rate
Su‑57	~2015	~2027	~12 years
J‑20	~2017–19	IOC ~2017, still engine delays through 2022	~1–2 years
Su‑75 Checkmate	~2025	~2027	~2 years

---

Notes & Nuances:​

• These figures reflect observed delays up to the point serial production (or official IOC) began, as documented in the sources; some programs (especially J‑20 and Su‑57) remain ongoing with evolving schedules.
• The F‑35 is special: while IOC occurred in 2015, formal full‑rate production was only authorized in March 2024, representing a very long development‑to‑production ramp. (Reddit, Reuters)
• For J‑20, while LRIP started in 2015 and service entry by 2017, unresolved engine reliability issues stretched into 2022. (GlobalSecurity)
• Russian programs have faced added geopolitical/sanction constraints impacting timelines.

---

Conclusion​

All five major fifth‑generation fighter programs experienced significant delays before entering serial production or IOC—ranging from about 1 year (F‑22) to over a decade (Su‑57). The F‑35 stands out for its multi‑phase delays: late IOC and very protracted progress before full-rate production. All figures above are based solely on publicly documented schedules and reported slips from official or reputable sources.

Let me know if you’d like more detail on any specific case or on sub‑variants (e.g. F‑35B vs C).

I don't care about other projects. Was is announced SEVERAL times by officials P1 and P2 would be assembled and roll out this year, yes or no? Where are the pictures from the line? Or don't they see a reason for them anymore since there are no elections near?

The dates get pushed back every 2-4 months now. P1 and P2 supposedly SAID SO by SSB on the line, P1 was supposed to fly at the end of this year.

No pictures, contradicting statements for the last months now. Blaming "supply line" issues for delays on delays. Why was there no stocking up of critical items sources from outside the country?

If there are no signs of life in the coming months there will be delays again, and again they will use non-specific excuses on why P1 and P2 are missing.

You don't put something on the assembly line without every ready to go.

So no I don't believe the "supply-line" excuse either. Something is up and they are trying to buy time. Let's hope it is not something drastic. IMO they have issues getting their hands on the F110 needed and are trying to buy time for CAATSA to get dealt with.

 

[Strong AI]

I don't care about other projects. Was is announced SEVERAL times by officials P1 and P2 would be assembled and roll out this year, yes or no? Where are the pictures from the line? Or don't they see a reason for them anymore since there are no elections near?

The dates get pushed back every 2-4 months now. P1 and P2 supposedly SAID SO by SSB on the line, P1 was supposed to fly at the end of this year.

No pictures, contradicting statements for the last months now. Blaming "supply line" issues for delays on delays. Why was there no stocking up of critical items sources from outside the country?

If there are no signs of life in the coming months there will be delays again, and again they will use non-specific excuses on why P1 and P2 are missing.

You don't put something on the assembly line without every ready to go.

So no I don't believe the "supply-line" excuse either. Something is up and they are trying to buy time. Let's hope it is not something drastic. IMO they have issues getting their hands on the F110 needed and are trying to buy time for CAATSA to get dealt with.

Do you know how many companies are working on that project?
I showed you the delays of other comparable projects of countries with rich aviation history.
Now you can search the reason for those delays.

Maybe you should become an aviation engineer, start working at TAI, then you can tell us the "real reasons" for those delays.

 

[Khagan1923]

Do you know how many companies are working on that project?
I showed you the delays of other comparable projects of countries with rich aviation history.
Now you can search the reason for those delays.

Maybe you should become an aviation engineer, start working at TAI, then you can tell us the "real reasons" for those delays.

My man you can bs your way with people who might not be versed in these matters but not with me, this the second time you try to "out-argue" me in your own head and the first time you stopped responding because you had no resort to what I wrote i.e. Ukrainian engines for projects.

It was not me who said that both aircrafts are on the assembly line months ago but the president of the SSB whose words you take like it is gospel when it suits you. You don't put something on the assembly line UNLESS YOU CAN ASSEMBLE IT.

A government who published the smallest detail in 5 minute videos and dozen of pictures suddenly has lost all appetite on doing so with the pinnacle of the Turkish MIC. Meanwhile GTU we got weekly updates.

There are zero signs of a prototype that was supposed to roll out almost 3 months ago, and you wanna tell me about supply line issues said by the same person who said just months ago P1 was gonna fly together with GTU at the end of this year.

Holy Shit.

And when they do the same at the end of the year you will be here coming up with excuses while other users have serious discussion about the state of the project.

Then again some of you also believed T-929 was actually real and progressing well cause government sources were saying so while everyone with an inch of knowledge knew it was a dead project walking.

 

[Samba]

I don't care about other projects. Was is announced SEVERAL times by officials P1 and P2 would be assembled and roll out this year, yes or no? Where are the pictures from the line? Or don't they see a reason for them anymore since there are no elections near?

The dates get pushed back every 2-4 months now. P1 and P2 supposedly SAID SO by SSB on the line, P1 was supposed to fly at the end of this year.

No pictures, contradicting statements for the last months now. Blaming "supply line" issues for delays on delays. Why was there no stocking up of critical items sources from outside the country?

If there are no signs of life in the coming months there will be delays again, and again they will use non-specific excuses on why P1 and P2 are missing.

You don't put something on the assembly line without every ready to go.

So no I don't believe the "supply-line" excuse either. Something is up and they are trying to buy time. Let's hope it is not something drastic. IMO they have issues getting their hands on the F110 needed and are trying to buy time for CAATSA to get dealt with.

Things don't work like that. According to what you say we should stop producing anything u til we get 40 F110 engines. In that case, we would have nothing in our hand next 20 years. Instead we have a plane flying and several prototypes are in production.