The development of Türkiye's fifth-generation fighter jet is proceeding well, according to the chief executive of its developer on Sunday, who also highlighted that the aircraft could be seen at Teknofest 2027.
"Kaan is going very well at the moment. We have two prototypes in the assembly phase. By the end of this year, we hope to complete the first one and get it into flight at the beginning of next year," Mehmet Demiroğlu, CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), said.
"The second one will follow immediately after. By the end of next year, our third aircraft will arrive. We need to conduct an intense testing campaign with these. Additionally, we will definitely see Kaan at Teknofest in 2027," he told Demirören News Agency (DHA) during Teknofest.
Teknofest 2025, held for the first time in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), gathered together top officials, companies operating in the technology and defense fields, and numerous tech enthusiasts for four days in Lefkoşa (Nicosia).
Demiroğlu, who emphasized that Teknofest boosts the confidence of young people, remarked: "As you know, the special feature of Cyprus is that the maintenance companies were established under the embargoes in Cyprus. While they couldn’t even produce radios, 50 years later, we are now showcasing numerous products with countless companies in Cyprus."
"We want young people to come and touch these. We can really see that their self-confidence is increasing. The competitions in the background and sharing the excitement of the young people also excite us," he maintained.
"This is how it all starts. Teknofest has truly achieved incredible success in this regard. It has created a significant shift in perception for young people, both in Türkiye and globally. Young people no longer come here with the mindset of 'we can’t do it,' but with 'we can do it, so what should we do next?'" This is very important and truly a refreshing feeling. We see this in Cyprus as well," he continued.
Providing further information about the current status of Kaan, formerly also known as National Combat Aircraft (MMU), Demiroğlu reiterated that it is "going well" at the moment.
"Hopefully, by the end of 2028, we will deliver the first Kaan to our Air Force as promised. Additionally, we will definitely see KAAN at Teknofest in 2027," he said.
Demiroğlu mentioned that the top priority is mass production and increasing the capacity.
"As TAI, we have brought many projects to life, such as Kaan, Hürjet, Hürkuş and Anka-3. We have so many platforms now that we need to move these into mass production. However, for mass production, we will produce the number of aircraft that we haven’t made before in one to two years. This is a significant increase," he explained.
"Therefore, mass production is our top priority as TAI," he added.
"Because the needs and expectations are very high. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), whether in the air, sea or land, have very high expectations from us. Our allies, as well as friendly and brotherly countries, also have high expectations. In order to meet these, we need to carry out mass production very quickly and increase our capacity to the maximum level. Our entire goal right now is this," said Demiroğlu.
"While we are working on the fifth-generation aircraft today, we have actually already started working on the sixth generation. We want to see Kaan as a sixth-generation aircraft in the not-so-distant future. Right now, we are working on the technologies that will impact the next five to 10 years," he said. He referred to different technologies, including 3D manufacturing methods and artificial intelligence.
At the same time, he also highlighted the potential of exports to other countries.
"Some of these countries you already know, and some have yet to be revealed. We are not just thinking of Türkiye, but also our allies, friends and brothers across many geographies as we continue, and will continue, our efforts," he noted.
