Turkey plans to deploy new fighter jet KAAN by 2030, is it better than US F-35 fighter jet? What is Erdogan’s plan?

KAAN fighter jet: In a significant step towards upgrading its air force, Turkey’s completed first flight of its national combat aircraft, KAAN fighter jet earlier this year. For the unversed, NATO member Turkey launched its TF-X project to produce a national combat aircraft in 2016. Also, Turkish aerospace firm TUSAS signed a deal with Britain’s BAE Systems worth $125 million in 2017 to develop the next-generation fighter jet.
TUSAS shared a video showing a KAAN fighter jet taking off and then returning to an air base in the north Ankara.
“With KAAN, our country will not only have a fifth generation fighter jet, but also technologies that few countries in the world have,” Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkey’s Defence Industries Directorate (SSB), said in a post on social media platform X.
Can Turkish fighter jet challenge its rival?
Turkey claims that although the F-35 aircraft has an amazed capacity to carry nearly 2,000 pounds of ammunition in its built-in weapons bay and up to 18,000 pounds externally, the KAAN fighter jet is expected to match that payload power, accommodating a mix of both air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry. This also includes homegrown Turkish missiles like the Gokdogan, a long-range air-to-air missile, and the Bozdogan, a short-range counterpart. Thanks to its internal weapon bay and stealth capabilities, these armaments will blend seamlessly, maintaining its knack for evading radar detection.
Turkey recently secured a deal to procure 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernisation kits for its existing F-16s from the United States, after a long-delayed process. The US imposed sanctions on NATO member Turkey’s defence industry in December 2020 over its acquisition of Russia’s S-400 missile defence system and expelled Ankara from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program, where it was a manufacturer and buyer.
Plan of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) led by Turkush President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan aims to position Türkiye as a leader in sixth-generation fighter technology by 2030, Turkish news outlet TRT World said about the fighter jet.

“Initially designed as a fifth-generation jet, KAAN features stealth capabilities and twin engines generating 13,000 kilograms of thrust each, reaching speeds up to Mach 1.8. However, TAI’s plans extend further. Work is already underway on a sixth-generation version equipped with AI, state-of-the-art sensors, and the ability to integrate with unmanned platforms”, the outlet added.
(With inputs from agencies)