Turkish fighter jet KAAN near final stretch for maiden flight

By Goksel Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is preparing for the maiden flight of its fifth-generation fighter jet known as KAAN.

Temel Kotil, the firm’s CEO, told Anadolu that the multi-role fighter jet KAAN is set to fly for the first time “in the coming days.”

“With infrastructure required for aviation and the space industry, we prepared complete test facilities and did wind tunnel, mechanical, lightning, and bird strike tests,” said Kotil, underlining their efforts for the different lines of aircraft they make.

He added that 2024 is a crucial year for Türkiye, marking the completion of the republic’s centennial and entering its second century.

Mentioning how the combat aircraft HURJET, ATAK II helicopter, and next-generation combat drone ANKA III had their first flights in 2023, Kotil said: "KAAN will fly soon. We had a commitment for 2023, but it didn't quite align. It was fate. The company had a good year."

Voicing wishes for a prosperous new century, Kotil added: "For children and babies, this 100 years is meaningful; naturally, we won't see the end of the (next) 100 years. TAI practically completed its infrastructure for this century."

"Our human infrastructure has come a long way. Currently, we have 7,000 engineers and 6,000 technicians. We’ve amassed nearly 17,000 employees," he added.

Kotil said that from this perspective, Türkiye is entering the new century with "a new courage." He stressed that the Turkish defense industry's products are partially completed and have reached delivery and serial production.

-'Crossing a threshold'

He added: "We expect KAAN to fly in the coming days. The new century will be exciting. It’s a century where a threshold is being crossed. Turks were always successful in the Ottoman Empire, in the Seljuk era ... Hopefully, we will see more of these successes in this century. We hope to see Türkiye as a country that does everything, needs no one, is economically strong, and extends its hand for support everywhere."

Kotil said that they reached a vital milestone with their indigenous aircraft, such as the twin-engine helicopter GOKBEY, the training jets HURJET and HURKUS, and the heavy attack copter ATAK II.

Kotil highlighted that these achievements as good omens for the success of the KAAN fighter jet.

Saying out that TAI stands out as the aviation industry company with the highest performance in terms of products, speed, and quality since the 1960s, leaving aside the Cold War performance of the US and USSR, Kotil said: "A revolution has been made. Such revolutions are needed for the new century."

Congratulating defense company Baykar, the sector's 2023 export champion, he also commented on export efforts, saying: "We’ve made our move. We were previously a company that only sold aircraft parts; now we’re a company selling defense systems. 2024 and beyond will be much better."

*Writing by Alperen Aktas and Emir Yildirim