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Türkiye's KAAN national fighter jet is preparing for high-speed taxi tests, with its P1 prototype set to fly this year, 2026, and possibly as early as this month, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu said on Friday.
"If there is no setback or delay there, very soon, maybe within this month, maybe next month, but Allah willing within this year, we will take our P1 to the skies," Demiroglu told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) at the Teknofest festival in Sanliurfa, where KAAN was exhibited for the first time.
KAAN is Türkiye's flagship fifth-generation fighter program.
The TAI general manager also outlined new export ambitions for the Hurkus trainer, delivery timelines for the Hurjet jet trainer, and plans for an electronic warfare aircraft.
"KAAN is our most prized project. Not only ours, but Türkiye's as well," Demiroglu stated.
"As you know, we made the first flight with P0. As for P1, our first prototype, we have now completed all system tests and it is about to enter ground tests," he added.
He said slow taxi tests have been completed, adding, "Now after the ground tests we will do high-speed taxi."
"Right after that, our P2 will go through the same process; it is going through it. Right now the two are side by side. All activities are continuing feverishly 24/7," Demiroglu said.
Demiroglu called September "the month of Hurkus" for TAI, after the Hurkus-II trainer was delivered to the Turkish Air Force (TAI) and Azerbaijan signed a contract for 14 aircraft.
"We are no longer content with meeting our own needs. We have also reached a position where we can meet the needs of our friendly and allied countries," he said.
"There are two main questions for a product to be exported. First, do you have it in your inventory? Our answer is yes, we do. Two, have you exported? Yes, I have," Demiroglu said, adding, "In the coming months and years, we will sign many agreements for exports in both training and light armed attack configurations."
"Production for this batch will be done here because they want fast delivery. We will make deliveries to them in between the products we make for our Air Force so that it is fast," Demiroglu said of the Azerbaijan order.
He said talks on co-production in Azerbaijan focus on UAV platforms rather than Hurkus for now.
"The production there of UAV platforms or platforms we call small tactical UAVs such as Super Simsek, Simsek, AYAZ or similar platforms is one of the issues we are discussing," he added.
On cooperation involving other aircraft, Demiroglu stated: "The heart wants it to be so, but I think it is too early to talk about such a thing today."
Demiroglu said Hurjet's two prototypes have logged about 600 flight hours, the third made its first flight last month and the fourth is set to fly before year-end. Two more will join next year for qualification and certification flights.
"We have started serial production activities," he said. "As we promised, we will begin our deliveries to our Air Force at the end of 2027 and to Spain at the end of 2028. Allah willing, we will keep this promise too."
Demiroglu said TAI aims to keep 30% of production in-house and outsource 70% to subcontractors, keeping final assembly lines while transferring component assembly.
"So they develop too. Let's not do everything in-house," he said, adding that outsourcing has reached nearly 60% for detail parts and the 40% range for components, with targets of 70-80% and 70% respectively.
As a first step, Hurjet component assembly has been given to TOMTAS in Kayseri.
"Today TOMTAS will do it, tomorrow another subcontractor of ours will do it," he said, adding that TAI has identified seven to eight companies for a tiered supply structure.
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On the Hava SOJ electronic warfare (EW) aircraft, the official said one aircraft has had its interior modified with all mission systems loaded, while a second has completed external modifications and begun flight tests.
"Our goal is to deliver 2 of them next year. We are carrying out all test activities feverishly together with Aselsan and our Defense Industries Presidency," he said.
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