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Türkiye signed a procurement contract on Wednesday for its domestically developed KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet.
The Defense Industries Secretariat (SSB) and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) formalized an agreement at the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition, marking a pivotal step in the program's path toward replacing F-16s in the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) starting in the 2030s.
The contract was signed by Defense Industries Secretariat head Haluk Gorgun, Turkish Aerospace Industries Chairman Omer Cihad Vardan, and TAI CEO Mehmet Demiroglu at a ceremony attended by senior defense officials and industry representatives.
"We are proud to develop the products listed here locally and nationally, and to deliver them to our heroic security forces," Gorgun said.
"Today is hopefully a new beginning. Our companies are aware of the responsibilities they have undertaken and will deliver these products as quickly as possible," he added.
Gorgun described SAHA 2026 as a showcase for multiple simultaneous procurement decisions, covering "unmanned combat aircraft to our manned fighter jet, from various offensive systems to land vehicles and electronic warfare systems."
KAAN is designed around features associated with next-generation air combat: low observability, an internal weapons bay allowing precision strikes at high and supersonic speeds, high maneuverability, enhanced situational awareness, and sensor fusion.
The platform is designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and incorporates artificial intelligence and neural networks to augment combat power.
KAAN completed its maiden flight on Feb. 21, 2024, staying airborne for 13 minutes while reaching 8,000 feet and 230 knots.
A second test flight on May 6, 2024, lasted 14 minutes, reaching 10,000 feet at 230 knots.
Serial production is advancing, with delivery to the Turkish Air Force Command planned in the 2030s to replace F-16s.
The aircraft features a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, an AESA radar, line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications, an electro-optical targeting system, and an infrared search-and-track system.
Its cockpit is designed to minimize pilot workload while incorporating the full suite of fifth-generation capabilities.
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