Turkey has succeeded in developing the fifth generation fighter aircraft. This modern Turkish fighter aircraft made its first successful flight on Wednesday. With this, Turkey has become one of the few countries which has been successful in manufacturing fifth generation fighter aircraft.
Turkey started this project in 2016
The name of this Turkish fighter plane is KAAN. Turkey launched the TF-X project in 2016 to build its own fighter jet. For this, Turkish aerospace firm TUSAS signed a $125 million agreement with British company BAE Systems. Under this deal, both are together making next generation fighter jets. TUSAS's fifth-generation fighter jet successfully took off from the airbase in northern Ankara on Wednesday.
Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkey's Defense Industry Directorate, shared a video of the flight of the fighter jet on social media. Along with this video, Gorgun wrote that 'With KAAN, our country will not only have fifth generation fighter aircraft but we will also have technology which only select countries in the world have.'
Türkiye will also make its own engine by 2028
General Electric's F-110 engine has been used in this fifth generation Turkish fighter jet. The same engine has also been installed in the fourth generation F-16 aircraft of America's Lockheed Martin company. However, the use of stealth technology in the Turkish fighter jet makes it a fifth generation aircraft. Turkey plans to use indigenously made engines in these aircraft by 2028. Türkiye is continuously increasing the capabilities of its air force. Recently, Turkey has also finalized the deal for 40 F-16 fighter planes with America. Apart from this, the F-16 aircraft already available to Turkey will also be modernized.