Turkey has stepped up efforts to develop fighter planes since it was expelled from the U.S.-led F35, 5th-generation stealth fighter aircraft program in 2019 after it acquired Russian missile defense systems.
President Tayyip Erdogan pointed to the maiden flight during a political rally on Wednesday, saying, "We have completed another critical phase on our way to producing our own 5th-generation fighter aircraft." Turkey is set for local elections on March 31.
State-owned Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) hopes to upgrade the KAAN to a 5th-generation model with stealth capabilities by 2030. It is planning to deliver its first 20 jets to the Turkish Air Force by 2028, powered by a locally produced engine. For now, the prototypes use U.S.-made engines.
The company has already sold armed drones to Malaysia, Indonesia and Kazakhstan, as well as assault helicopters to the Philippines. It has opened offices in Asia and is actively employing local engineers to work on defense projects.
CEO Temel Kotil told Nikkei Asia in 2022 that Turkey was making an "open call" to countries such as Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Azerbaijan and Qatar to join its major defense development projects, including KAAN, which was called the TF-X project at that time.
Turkey last year signed a cooperation memorandum with its Turkic ally Azerbaijan for the KAAN project. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told reporters last August that a deal to include Pakistan in the project would soon be signed.
Without F35s until the KAAN is commissioned, Turkey plans to boost its air power with additional F16 jets and possibly Eurofighter Typhoons, as well as with domestically made drones.