Görgün: Six KAAN Prototypes in Production, Tests to Continue This Year

Haluk Görgün, head of Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), discussed the testing timeline for the KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet in an interview with broadcaster A Haber ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara. Görgün described the aircraft as “an engineering feat where very different capabilities, disciplines and engineering-marvel solutions come together.”

Six prototypes now in production

Görgün said the program is proceeding on schedule and that valuable lessons have been drawn from flight tests already made public. Production of pre-series test prototypes has begun, he said: “We currently have six prototypes. Production of these prototypes is ongoing.” According to Görgün, some of the prototypes will be used for ground tests and others for flight tests.

An effort to compress the timeline

Görgün said building multiple prototypes in parallel is meant to shorten what would otherwise be a longer test schedule: “With this approach, we had planned to shorten a process that could otherwise take longer, and we are proceeding within that plan.” He added that flight tests will continue this year, but said testing is not limited to flying alone — both airborne and ground tests are moving ahead at full speed.

Context

The first KAAN prototype was unveiled in March 2023, and the aircraft’s maiden flight took place in February 2024. Led by Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) as prime contractor, the program places Turkey among a small group of countries — alongside the United States, Russia and China — with the capacity to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet. The six-prototype figure Görgün disclosed points to an intensifying test campaign ahead of serial production.

Watch Görgün’s full interview with A Haber here.

Source: A Haber