TAI TF-X / Milli Muharip Uçak MMU Kaan

https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07...o-us-cleared-kaan-fighter-engines-for-export/

Turkish Aerospace CEO: US cleared KAAN fighter engines for export​

“The rest is standard procedures. So we can say yes, we have the export license for the engine. We will work with GE folks to get the engines in time, and since it is for the serial production, which is at least two and a half years away, we will have no issue receiving those engines in time to support our serial production for Turkish Airforce,” Mehmet Demiroglu told reporters.
Click to expand...
 
Demiroglu also would not divulge when he expects to make the long-awaited first flight of the next prototype of the indigenous Kaan combat aircraft, which was originally expected to take place in late 2025. But he confirmed that the aircraft had begun taxi trials. He said that development of the TEI TF35000 engines was more challenging than expected, but the program was still on track to be used in the Block 30 version of the aircraft.

Demiroglu also confirmed that Ankara had received approval to acquire 80 GE F110 engines from the U.S. to power the Block 10 and Block 20 tranches of aircraft.

“Because those engines are for serial production, which is at least two years away, we will have no issue receiving those engines in time to support our serial production for the Turkish Air Force,” Demiroglu said.
Click to expand...
https://aviationweek.com/defense/ai...opter-program-renegotiated-production-restart
 
Acc. to TA(I) General Manager, Kaan's Flying Test Laboratory, reportedly a Global 6500, is conducting flights as part of its final preparation phase and has already flown periodically with individual mission-systems before...

TA(I) General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu:
The Flying Test Laboratory, where Kaan's avionics systems will be tested in integration with each other, is conducting flights in its final preparation phase.
Click to expand...
Flying Test Laboratory has been conducting periodic flights during its final preparation phase. As mission systems are delivered by our subcontractors, we keep flying it with each new integration.
Click to expand...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2081813170704822428
View: https://x.com/avionot/status/2081813170704822428?s=20
 
Last edited:
snne said:
Regardless of how many aircraft are actually delivered in ’28, the first block (20 planes) will come with software-blocked IWBs and will have to carry payloads externally until a software update arrives in 2030 along with Block 20.
Click to expand...
TA(I) General Manager reiterating earlier statements made by other officials:

TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu stated that there are no significant structural differences between Kaan's Block-10 and Block-20, and that approximately 90% of the changes between the two configurations will consist of software updates. Demiroğlu also noted that the domestically produced TF35000-powered Kaan is targeted for delivery around 2033.
Click to expand...
https://twitter.com/x/status/2082101346430492850
View: https://x.com/gdhdefence/status/2082101346430492850?s=20


Block-20 will still be largely identical to Block-10, with ~90% of the changes being software-related, while the indigenous TF35000-powered Kaan remains on track for delivery around 2033 (the official target is 2032)...
 
Last edited:
What is with the gloss-white paint-job? It's very unusual, not that I'm complaining as it does look attractive.
 
Some close-up High-Res screen caps; as @Nart mentioned, you can see the temp HUD in the cockpit
 

Attachments

  • 1785499623585.png
    1785499623585.png
    3.7 MB · Views: 168
  • 1785499641329.png
    1785499641329.png
    3.4 MB · Views: 146
  • 1785499777993.png
    1785499777993.png
    3.2 MB · Views: 143
  • 1785499877331.png
    1785499877331.png
    2.3 MB · Views: 129
  • 1785499921779.png
    1785499921779.png
    2.8 MB · Views: 535
The tail-boom geometry is quite distinct from anything else we've seen so far...

Screenshot 2026-07-31 141546.png Screenshot 2026-07-31 141625.png
1785499921779-png.819438

Here's how it was on GTU-0/P0:

frdhh_yxoaaaluf-jpeg.695925


snne said:
Edit: Nope, they're clearly for an AN/ASQ-239 equivalent, given the similar placement on the F-35.
Click to expand...
Waterballoon said:
These ones as well
Click to expand...
...and there appears to be a small, faceted radome at its tip, perhaps for the primary rear-aspect FEWS node; in addition to the small housings in the wing trailing tips?

1000084872-jpg.804692
 
Last edited:
Erdosain said:
One step closer: Turkish F-35 alternative nears first flight
Click to expand...
What a sh.tty article... The headline alone tells you everything...

Nart said:
TAI also added a "temporary" HUD to KAAN. They will use it as a backup during TULGAR's development process.
Click to expand...
Probably because the helmet is heavy, similar to the F-35's HMDS it was inspired by, and the test pilots didn't want to deal with it during such important initial test flights...
Nart said:
TAI also added a "temporary" HUD to KAAN.
Click to expand...
It took me a while to realize it's the same HUD as the one on the Hürjet :D
 
Last edited:
Combat-Master said:
Some close-up High-Res screen caps; as @Nart mentioned, you can see the temp HUD in the cockpit
Click to expand...
Awesome pics!
There's that saying on the internet "the longer you look, the worse it gets".
For me it's the opposite. There's a lot of fine details and changes they've made with this version. From the tail boom, the intakes, and seemingly even down to the rivets from those pcis!
Also thanks for uploading the pictures as attachments instead of just straight posting it here. Its one rule that even us mods (including me) tend to forget.
 
Guys, how will the internal weapon bays of the Kaan be arranged? Like the Su-57 or the F-22?
 

Attachments

  • HOx0WyMbgAAvHhW.jpg
    HOx0WyMbgAAvHhW.jpg
    63.7 KB · Views: 49
  • images.jpg
    images.jpg
    17.1 KB · Views: 56
krizalid said:
Guys, how will the internal weapon bays of the Kaan be arranged? Like the Su-57 or the F-22?
Click to expand...
Same configuration as the F-22, use the search bar next time so we don't have to rehash this conversation every time someone new shows up...
 

Attachments

  • 1000103989.png
    1000103989.png
    93.8 KB · Views: 98
  • 1000103990.png
    1000103990.png
    718.8 KB · Views: 95
  • 1000103991.png
    1000103991.png
    272.5 KB · Views: 88
  • 1000103992.png
    1000103992.png
    292.4 KB · Views: 92
Last edited by a moderator:
Umigami said:
Wow, even dors mechanism is the same
Click to expand...
Not really, the details don't match, they just happen to share the same configuration. After all, there are only so many ways to manage the cavity and weapons-release mechanism problems on a supersonic LO aircraft...
The J-20 and J-35 share the same main-IWB configuration (along with many other unbuilt or conceptual designs), but that doesn't mean they copied the F-22's IWB design...
 

Attachments

  • 1000104024.jpg
    1000104024.jpg
    34.8 KB · Views: 91
Last edited by a moderator:
Tandem bays on even a 20-21m long aircraft still cause significant structural and configurational design problems, especially when the design in question is also supposed to be supersonic and LO...

This is the reason why the Su-57 isn't as LO as other existing aircraft. The long, large tandem weapons bay requirement meant Sukhoi could not implement serpentine ducts (which in turn influenced its sensor payload!), and radar blockers are nowhere near as effective at hiding the fan blades...

Turns out... *drum roll*... stealth aircraft are actually built around their weapons bays...!

So, if you want to build a contemporary LO design, you have to hide the fan blades, which in turn leaves you with not many viable options other than to adapt the same center IWB configuration as the F-22/F-35/J-20, J-35/AMCA/KF-21/GCAP/FCAS/Kızılelma/etc.

Otherwise, if you still insist on both serpentine ducts AND tandem main bays, the cavity (i.e., the IWB) would have to be extremely narrow and shallow in return, which limits the kinds of payloads you can carry to an overwhelming degree...
 

Attachments

  • 1000104026.jpg
    1000104026.jpg
    244.4 KB · Views: 52
  • 1000104027.jpg
    1000104027.jpg
    71.2 KB · Views: 71
Last edited:
I'm thinking a door to a gun port as well.
maybe less likely, refueling port. F-22 and F-35 has theirs on the center spine but some others like F-15 has it on the side. Not sure if Turkey will use the probe and drogue or the boom system for the Kaan
 
helmutkohl said:
I'm thinking a door to a gun port as well.
maybe less likely, refueling port. F-22 and F-35 has theirs on the center spine but some others like F-15 has it on the side. Not sure if Turkey will use the probe and drogue or the boom system for the Kaan
Click to expand...
Boom
 
snne said:
Otherwise, if you still insist on both serpentine ducts AND tandem main bays, the cavity (i.e., the IWB) would have to be extremely narrow and shallow in return, which limits the kinds of payloads you can carry to an overwhelming degree...
Click to expand...
Regarding Kızılelma bays
 

Attachments

  • 1000072122.png
    1000072122.png
    132.5 KB · Views: 79
  • 1000072121.png
    1000072121.png
    414.4 KB · Views: 65
Last edited by a moderator:
Combat-Master said:
There's a subtle panel color variation on the forward starboard side of the aircraft that isn't present on the port side. Wondering if that'll be hatch to the business end of the 20 mm gatling
Click to expand...
DEWs have always been planned for Block 30, but equipping a gun for merely 40 aircraft total makes no sense whatsoever.

It makes no sense to waste such prime real estate on an expensive-to-acquire and expensive-to-operate stealth fighter when that space could be put to far better use with virtually anything else --fuel being the first thing that comes to everyone's minds...

helmutkohl said:
Not sure if Turkey will use the probe and drogue or the boom system for the Kaan
Click to expand...
Both Kaan and Hürjet are set to receive boom receptacles. TuAF neither had plans to procure nor operated any drogue-equipped fighters throughout the development of these projects right up until late 2022 --they've always preferred boom... (But there have been subtle hints that Kızılelma and Anka-3 might receive probe and drogue in the future!)

VTOLicious said:
I have to disagree... https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ion-of-the-boeing-f-47-ngad.45793/post-862848
Click to expand...
I'm not saying it can't be done within fighter-class dimensions. I'm saying that's not the route a nation undertaking such a huge, complex, and expensive aviation project for the first time in its history --and needing the aircraft ASAP-- would have chosen over more proven design concepts back in the 2010s...

And let's be honest, designing such a concept as a hobby project is a lot easier than actually turning it into reality...
 
snne said:
DEWs have always been planned for Block 30, but equipping a gun for merely 40 aircraft total makes no sense whatsoever.

It makes no sense to waste such prime real estate on an expensive-to-acquire and expensive-to-operate stealth fighter when that space could be put to far better use with virtually anything else --fuel being the first thing that comes to everyone's minds...
Click to expand...
Wdym by DEW? Direct Energy Weapon?

I don't think that we can consider a laser dircm (Yıldırım-300) a DEW.

Also you know how hard it is to convince air force on some matters and I am sure that having an internal gun/cannon is one of their must.

But regardless of these, in my opinion, with today's combat landscape (ooor airspace) the need for an internal cannon is becoming less and less important, especially when that volume and mass could be used for storing more fuel
 
Waterballoon said:
OWA drones warrant internal gun
Click to expand...
Maybe, but is it Kaan'ın job to deal with them? Even so, internal guns against OWA's are very suicidal, just look at how many aircraft and pilots the Ukrainian air force lost because of using internal guns against OWA's. The shrapnel and explosion from the destroyed drone is no joke for the pilot and the aircraft
 
Radonislav said:
Maybe, but is it Kaan'ın job to deal with them? Even so, internal guns against OWA's are very suicidal, just look at how many aircraft and pilots the Ukrainian air force lost because of using internal guns against OWA's. The shrapnel and explosion from the destroyed drone is no joke for the pilot and the aircraft
Click to expand...
When one is faced with a wave of >100 OWA drones, you'll send up everything in the sky that can shoot them down.

3 major countries in Turkeys vicinity have shown they are capable of sending such and even larger salvo's and soon even smaller neighboring countries will have the ability to do so, e.g. Greece and Armenia.

Gone are the short lived days days where (stealth) fighters where primarily tasked to take on other fighters.
 
Geo said:
Exactly.
But on the other hand, we are returning to days where good maneuverability at subsonic and transonic speeds will be in high demand.
Click to expand...
Hürkus and Akinci with Cirit C-UAS at the forefront, fighters at the back with more expensive AAM to take down the leakers.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom