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Türkiye will export 48 KAAN fighter jets to Indonesia in a deal worth between $12 billion to $15 billion, marking the country's largest single defense export in history, TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu told a Turkish defense media outlet SavunmaSanayiST.
"We are currently talking about 48 aircraft. Financially, this can vary depending on what will be included in the package. We estimate it will be finalized between $12 billion-15 billion," Demiroglu said in exclusive remarks to SavunmaSanayiST.
Demiroglu expressed pride in securing an export agreement approximately one year after KAAN's first flight, calling it "a source of indescribable pride and joy."
"KAAN is our biggest project. Türkiye's largest defense industry project. This success belongs to Türkiye, not just TAI, but also to our Defense Industry Presidency. This is our President's success, I can say, because everyone has contributed," he stated.
Also speaking to the SavunmaSanayiST, the TAI chief outlined ambitious development and delivery schedules, with testing set to begin next year.
"Test flights will begin next year. We'll start with the first two, then a third will come, then three more will come. We aim to complete the development phase by 2028. And within 2028, we plan to make our first delivery to the Turkish Air Force," Demiroglu explained.
Indonesia's deliveries are scheduled for the 2030s, with the timeline planned to accommodate Türkiye's indigenous engine development.
"Indonesia's will come later, in the 2030s, hopefully. Our currently planned delivery schedule with our own engine is planned to cover it with our own engine. Hopefully, we will see those days together," he added.
Türkiye's Ambassador to Jakarta Talip Kucukcan called the agreement a significant development in the 75th year of diplomatic relations between the nations.
"An agreement has been signed that will strengthen bilateral relations and take them to a new level," Kucukcan told AA. "This is important not only for Türkiye-Indonesia relations but also for the recognition and acceptance of Türkiye's defense industry, especially in Southeast Asia."
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited the Turkish stand at the Indonesia Defense Fair where he was briefed on the project, marking the first steps of the agreement.
Indonesia's Ambassador to Ankara Achmad Rizal Purnama described KAAN as "one of the turning points in defense industry cooperation between Indonesia and Türkiye."
"This cooperation goes beyond procurement activities such as technology transfer, integration of Indonesia's industrial infrastructure into KAAN production, and support for Indonesia's indigenous defense ecosystem," Purnama said.
The ambassador stressed the equal partnership nature of the deal: "We are not just suppliers, buyers or sellers. We are equal partners committed to resilience, peace and stability not only for the two countries but for the two regions and even the whole world."
Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) head Haluk Gorgun confirmed the project would involve Indonesian defense companies in joint production.
"This project, led by TAI and conducted with Indonesia's distinguished defense industry companies, will be one of the most concrete examples of joint production, technology sharing and strategic cooperation," Gorgun posted on X.
Gorgun emphasized the historic nature of the achievement: "In our aviation journey of more than a century, we now experience the pride of sharing our own 5th generation fighter aircraft with friendly countries."
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