The first prototype of Turkey’s TAI TF Kaan fighter made its second test flight on May 6. According to the secretary of Turkish Defense Industries, the test flight went well.

“Our National Combat Aircraft, which successfully made its first flight on February 21, took off from the runway at 08:46 this morning, stayed in the air for 14 minutes and reached an altitude of 10,000 feet,” Secretary Haluk Gorgun said. “With confident steps towards mass production, our skies are in safe hands with our local and national technologies!”

A Turkish Fighter Jet?

With one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, Turkey is a member of NATO that also maintains friendly relations with Russia. Geographically and politically, Turkey is hard to define. Not surprisingly, Turkey has experienced strained relations in the various regions the country simultaneously occupies – especially with immediate neighbors Greece and Syria.

In the past, Turkey has imported its fighter jets from the Soviet Union/Russia or America. Perhaps tired of depending on others, and of the conditions attached to buying weapons technology, Turkey is working to develop its own stealth fighter. This is quite a challenge for a country that does not have a history of aerospace development.

Introducing the TAI TF Kaan

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is working to mass-produce the TF Kaan (or TF-X). The aircraft is being developed as a twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter with stealth features.

TAI will benefit from the expertise of subcontractor BAE Systems, the largest defense contractor on the European continent. Turkey hopes that with BAE’s help, TAI can field an aircraft capable of replacing the Turkish Air Force’s aging fleet of American-made F-16s. Turkey also hopes the TAI jet will attract foreign buyers. 

But before the Turkish F-16s can be phased out, and before the TF Kaan can be exported, the new jet will need to prove itself. The first and second test flights are major milestones. And while the test flights have gone well, the jet is still a long way from being a combat-ready, exportable stealth aircraft.

Here’s what TAI is claiming the new TF Kaan will feature: improved aerodynamics and propulsion; an optimized combat radius; advanced and internal multispectral sensors (EW and RF/IR); low radar cross section; sensor fusion; autonomy; supercruise; improved data link capabilities for network-enabled warfare; and high-precision stand-off weapons.

In short, TAI is advertising a fifth-generation fighter. To date, only three countries have successfully fielded such a fighter: the U.S., China, and Russia. Were Turkey to succeed, they would join an elite club of leaders in aviation. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,300 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.