Turkey Secures US Engines for Indigenous Stealth Fighter Amid F-35 Ban
The US State Department announced plans to sell Turkey 80 General Electric F110 engines for its indigenous stealth fighter project, KAAN, in a $700 million deal. This move rescues the troubled KAAN program, which has struggled to develop its own jet engines, and allows Turkey to export the aircraft, notably to Malaysia in a deal expected to generate $10 billion. Malaysia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, is supporting the KAAN project and will become the first to receive this stealth fighter, distinct from the US F-15s it previously purchased.
The KAAN stealth fighter, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), had its prototype first flight in 2024 and is slated for production by 2030. It is a twin-engine, long-range stealth aircraft designed to replace Turkey's aging F-16 fleet. Despite its advanced design, the KAAN will initially use American engines not optimized for stealth, which compromises some stealth capabilities. The fighter is expensive, costing about $200 million per unit with a $10 billion development budget. Turkey aims for a top speed of Mach 1.8, faster than the single-engine F-35's Mach 1.6, but also plans to acquire F-35s for earlier availability and superior electronic warfare and stealth capabilities.
Turkey was once a partner in the F-35 program and was to produce components and serve as a regional maintenance hub. However, after purchasing Russian S-400 air defense systems, the US expelled Turkey from the program over security concerns. This exclusion has left the Turkish Air Force with outdated F-16s and lagging behind neighbors like Israel and Greece, which have procured F-35s.
While some speculated that US President Donald Trump might approve F-35 sales to Turkey during a NATO summit, such a move faces significant legal, congressional, and diplomatic hurdles, including opposition from both Republicans and Democrats, as well as pressure from Israel and Greece. Although Turkey might consider transferring the S-400 systems elsewhere to ease tensions, the prospect of rejoining the F-35 program remains distant. Meanwhile, Turkey continues to develop the KAAN stealth fighter with six prototypes undergoing ground and flight tests, aiming to bolster its domestic defense industry and regional military capabilities.
