A new Saudi defense strategic plan for the next decade involves acquiring a new air superiority fighter, and it could be the Turkish TAI KAAN fighter, a fifth-generation fighter jet with stealth characteristics.
Haluk Görgün, secretary of Turkey’s Defense Industry Agency (SSB), met in late December with Khaled bin Hussein Al-Biyari, Saudi Deputy Defense Minister, who traveled to Turkey to begin negotiations on the acquisition of at least 100 aircraft, Turkish Minute reported.
The talks in Istanbul lasted three days and also involved Turki bin Bandar Al Saud, Commander of the Saudi Air Force, as well as Feyyaz bin Hamid er-Ruveyli, Saudi Chief of General Staff, who even traveled to Ankara to discuss the matter.
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However, the Saudis also want to establish long-term cooperation for the construction of warships, complex weapons systems, such as missiles, and surveillance radars.
TAI TF KAAN
Known as TF KAAN, the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) fighter is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft for air superiority, which impresses not only with its shape, but also with its size and advanced capabilities.
Developed since 2016, the KAAN flew for the first time on February 21, 2024, demonstrating Turkey’s impressive progress in the development of complex aircraft. Ankara’s goal is for the new fighter to be its vector for air superiority by the end of the decade.
With participation from BAE Systems and Rolls Royce in the development of the engines, the KAAN has consumed US$ 1.18 billion so far in the project, a very acceptable amount for a fifth-generation fighter with its attributes.
For Turkey, the KAAN represents greater independence from the US, which has blocked the sale of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet in the past.
For Saudi Arabia, the fighter also adds greater independence from the West, from which it has tried to acquire more aircraft, but which has often come up against vetoes, such as from Germany over a possible deal for more Typhoon jets.
