Air Power Defense Exports KAAN – National Combat Aircraft TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY

KAAN: 10 Reasons Saudi Arabia Should Evaluate Turkey’s Fighter Against the F-35 and Eurofighter

Saudi Arabia opened F-35 purchase negotiations with the United States; Congress blocked the deal, citing Yemen and human-rights concerns. Riyadh then secured 48 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 jets in 2015 and has been eyeing the next generation since. Into that gap comes Turkey’s KAAN — TUSAS’s fifth-generation fighter, which completed its maiden flight on 21 February 2023. A 10-point analysis built on open sources.

At a Glance — KAAN

Class / Role	4.5–5th-gen single-seat twin-engine fighter
Engines	2 × GE F110-GE-129 with afterburner (2 × 131 kN); domestic TEI engine planned for later stages
First flight	21 February 2023
Max speed	Mach 1.8+ (projected)
Combat radius	~1,000 km (projected)
Maker	Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS)
Development status	Flight-test programme ongoing (2023–)

Context: KAAN completed its first flight in 2023 and remains in development and flight testing. The initial configuration uses US-made GE F110-GE-129 engines; replacement with a domestic TEI engine is planned for later stages. KAAN has not yet been exported to any country. This analysis is based on published design parameters and Turkey’s stated export model.

Why Should Saudi Arabia Evaluate KAAN? 10 Reasons

A fifth-generation option that bypasses the F-35 congressional block

The US Congress has blocked Saudi Arabia’s F-35 requests for years, citing Yemen and human-rights concerns. KAAN offers near-fifth-generation stealth and twin-engine agility without that political bottleneck. Riyadh can close the technology gap without waiting on congressional clearance that may not come.

Better cost-capability ratio than Eurofighter

Saudi Arabia’s 2015 contract for 48 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 jets implied a unit cost in the $100–125 million range. KAAN’s official price has not been announced, but TUSAS’s target sits below Eurofighter and F-35 levels; early-buyer terms could widen that margin further.

SAMI partnership aligned with Vision 2030 aerospace

Vision 2030 requires 50 percent of defense spending to flow through domestic industry by 2030. TUSAS’s stated export policy prioritises co-production and technology transfer. A KAAN partnership could open fuselage-component production, engine-maintenance lines or avionics systems through SAMI.

No ITAR / no CAATSA: unconditional supply

F-35 exports require MTCR Category-I clearance, ITAR compliance and congressional approval. Eurofighter needs four-nation (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain) joint approval. KAAN carries neither constraint: Turkey decides on a bilateral basis. Given Saudi Arabia’s track record with US arms restrictions, that distinction carries strategic weight.

Desert and hot-climate operations suitability

KAAN is being developed and tested under Turkey’s hot, dry Central and Southeast Anatolian conditions. The high-temperature, sand-storm and humidity-cycling profile prevalent in Saudi Arabia was a design consideration from the outset — a relevant contrast with platforms engineered for Central European or temperate environments.

Stealth features and low radar cross-section

KAAN’s design incorporates an internal weapons bay, radar-scattering fuselage shaping and low-RCS coatings. These features provide a qualitative step above Saudi Arabia’s current F-15SA and Eurofighter fleet — an upgrade layer that neither Riyadh’s existing aircraft nor most export-available alternatives currently offer.

Independent weapons ecosystem: SOM, Gökdoğan, Bozdoğan

KAAN’s primary weapons menu comprises the SOM cruise missile, the Gökdoğan BVR air-to-air missile and the Bozdoğan WVR air-to-air missile. Saudi Arabia can diversify away from dependence on US-supplied AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder into an independent multi-vendor munitions portfolio.

Adaptation advantage for F-15SA pilots

The Saudi Air Force’s large F-15SA fleet has produced a pilot cadre experienced in twin-engine, high-performance fighter operations. KAAN’s twin-engine, performance-focused layout is compatible with that background; conversion timelines are likely shorter than for a single-engine or entirely different type.

NATO-compatible but free of US political conditions

China’s J-35 and Russia’s Su-57 create NATO-alliance friction. KAAN is designed to Western interoperability standards while sitting outside Washington’s political conditions — the balance Saudi Arabia’s diversification policy has been seeking between technology quality and sovereign supply security.

With KAAN still in development, early-buyer privileges — operational-requirement influence, fuselage or avionics production share, engine and software transfer scope — are at their widest. That window closes as the programme matures; it is already closed on F-35 and Eurofighter.

How It Compares to Rivals

Attribute	KAAN (TUSAS)	F-35A Block 4 (US)	Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A
Generation	4.5–5th gen	5th gen	4th gen (advanced)
Engine	2 × GE F110 (afterburner; domestic TEI planned)	1 × P&W F135 (single engine)	2 × Eurojet EJ200
Stealth / RCS	Low-RCS design, internal weapons bay	Very low RCS, full stealth	Minimal
Export terms	No ITAR, bilateral framework	ITAR + Congress + certification	4-nation joint approval
Saudi export status	Open	Congressional block ongoing	Contract signed (2015)
Domestic weapons	SOM / Gökdoğan / Bozdoğan	Limited independent menu	Meteor / Brimstone (non-ITAR)

Cost estimates are open-source projections; official pricing has not been published.

Gallery

KAAN design model at Teknofest 2021 — twin-engine layout and low-radar-cross-section fuselage — Wikimedia Commons

KAAN (TF-X) model at Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2019 — international unveiling — Wikimedia Commons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is KAAN a genuine fifth-generation fighter?

KAAN targets fifth-generation design features — low-RCS fuselage, internal weapons bay and advanced avionics — but remains in development. Analysts currently classify it in a 4.5-to-5th-gen transition band; a full fifth-generation assessment depends on further test results.

Can Saudi Arabia not simply buy F-35s?

The US Congress has objected to F-35 sales to Saudi Arabia over Yemen and human-rights grounds. The Biden administration effectively froze talks; no approval was granted. That blockage has accelerated Riyadh’s search for alternative advanced-fighter options.

What is KAAN’s production and delivery timeline?

KAAN completed its first flight in February 2023 and remains in flight testing. Initial Operational Capability for the Turkish Air Force has not been formally announced. Export timelines will follow the domestic programme’s maturation schedule.

Would Turkey agree to a KAAN co-production deal with SAMI?

TUSAS has followed an open co-production and technology-transfer policy in previous programmes, including the T129/PZL arrangement. Official statements have not ruled out Gulf co-production for KAAN. Specific terms would be subject to bilateral negotiation.

Can KAAN operate alongside Saudi Arabia’s existing Eurofighter fleet?

KAAN is designed to Western interoperability standards, targeting LINK 16 and compatible datalink protocols. Tactical interoperability with the existing Eurofighter fleet is theoretically feasible; detailed software and avionics integration specifics will emerge as the programme advances.

KAAN is a NATO-compatible, ITAR-free fifth-generation candidate that addresses Saudi Arabia’s F-35 acquisition block and offers a credible next-generation option alongside — or instead of — a further Eurofighter expansion. The early-buyer window, SAMI partnership opportunity and independent weapons menu are open now; they narrow as the programme matures.