TAI readies Kaan fighter prototype for maiden flight before year-end

Turkish Aerospace Industries is preparing to launch the second prototype of its fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet before the end of the year while the first aircraft completes high-speed taxi maneuvers, the firm's general manager said on Saturday.

Kaan prototypes advance toward flight tests

The company has completed all system checks on the P1, the first Kaan prototype, and the craft is slated to fly within weeks, Mehmet Demiroglu stated at TEKNOFEST Southeast in Şanlıurfa. Assembly and testing for the P2 prototype continue in parallel, with slow taxi tests already concluded for the second aircraft.

"We'll launch the P1 and the P2 immediately after, if there are no setbacks or delays, since we've already done the slow taxi tests for the P2," he said.

Export deals expand for Hurkus and Hurjet platforms

The firm achieved significant export milestones including a recent deal signed last month with Azerbaijan to supply 14 units of the Hurkus-II turboprop trainer, Demiroglu noted. "We will sign new export agreements for both the training and the light-armed attack configurations of the Hurkus in the coming months and years," he stated, adding that the production batch for Azerbaijan will be manufactured in Türkiye while existing Turkish Air Force units are diverted to ensure speedy delivery.

Demiroglu also addressed the Hurjet program, explaining that engineers have applied lessons from the first aircraft to new platforms, with over 600 hours of flight time accumulated across two prototypes. The third Hurjet prototype made its first flight last month and the fourth is currently under construction, he said, confirming that initial deliveries to the Turkish Air Force are scheduled for late 2027 before export allocations to Spain commence in late 2028.

Production restructuring and electronic warfare

TAI is overhauling its manufacturing architecture into a tiered subcontracting model to outsource up to 70 percent of part and subassembly fabrication, distributing structural workloads including wings, tails, and fuselages among seven to eight domestic partners to meet delivery deadlines while limiting production costs. Efforts are also ongoing for the Air SOJ airborne electronic warfare project, with flight qualification trials currently underway for two specialized platforms.

The company aims to deliver its first two operational Air SOJ platforms next year in coordination with Aselsan and the Defense Industries Agency (SSB), according to the firm's statements at the aerospace exhibition.