Turkey continues to promote the development of the 5th generation fighter KAAN and has confirmed two new prototypes, designated P1 and P2, which are scheduled to enter the testing phase in 2026.
The aircraft were identified in official images released during a visit by Defense Industry Authority Director Haluk Görgün to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities. The program is being treated as a strategic priority, especially after Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program in 2020.
Newly released images show significant changes compared to the initial prototype, P0. The P1 features modifications to the fuselage design, including relocating engine air intakes, increasing space for self-defense sensors, and adjusting the landing gear to benefit both internal and external weapon integration.
Additionally, a Tulgar helmet equipped with a helmet-mounted display (HMD) system was confirmed, demonstrating the focus on technologies specific to 5th generation fighters, such as improved situational awareness and sensor fusion.
According to Görgün, the schedule includes full-scale static testing, as well as additional flight testing as the prototypes enter the validation phase. He emphasized that the project includes features such as stealth performance, electronic warfare, internal weapon bays, and advanced avionics architecture. The strategy adopted by the Turkish defense industry is to shorten the schedule and accelerate early deployment by conducting development, testing, and production in parallel.
Meanwhile, Turkey is also investing in the development of the domestically produced TF35000 engine to replace the American engine currently used in the prototype. The purpose of this is to strengthen technological independence and foster the country’s defense industry. Ankara is also working to integrate KAAN with unmanned aerial vehicles such as Anka 3 and Kizilelma, thereby expanding the concept of joint operations between manned platforms and autonomous systems.
source: The Aviationist | Photo: X @alpha_defense | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
📍 Ankara | TAI Facilities
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Within the scope of our National Combat Aircraft KAAN Project, we visited our KAAN hangar and received comprehensive information about the final stage of our full-size static test aircraft and examined the work in the field.
It will make its first flight in 2024 and be the first… pic.twitter.com/mipIGkTtSs
— Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün (@halukgorgun) February 13, 2026
