The United Arab Emirates (UAE) could become a partner with Turkey in the KAAN stealth fighter project, said the CEO of TAI, the aircraft manufacturer.
Mehmet Demiroglu revealed the US interest during the IDEX 2025 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi. “During high-level discussions, UAE officials expressed interest in KAAN and indicated their willingness to engage with the project,” the chief executive said.
The Turkish government has been seeking international partners to expand production of the KAAN, a 5th generation fighter developed by state-owned TAI amid Turkey’s exclusion from the F-35 program.
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Saudi Arabia is already in talks with Ankara to join the project while Pakistan may have a local assembly line in the future.
The KAAN first flew a year ago, and TAI is working to complete assembly of the second prototype by the end of the year.
The Turkish Air Force expects to have its first indigenous fighters by 2028.
The 5th generation aircraft is considerably larger than the F-35, measuring 21 meters long, 14 meters in wingspan and 6 meters high.
The KAAN is powered by two GE F110 engines with 29,000 pounds of thrust each and is expected to be capable of flying at Mach 1.8. Most of the weapons will be carried in an internal compartment.
Turkey was a member of the F-35 program, but after reaching a deal with Russia to receive S400 surface-to-air missiles, the country was removed by the United States during Donald Trump’s first term.
Recently, the two nations have come closer again and Washington authorized the purchase of more F-16 fighters in addition to an upgrade package for the jet, but this was discarded.
