Turkey's KAAN fighter jet dey be marketed as a big achievement, wey dey show say Ankara dey join di group of countries wey get fifth-generation air power. But for people wey wan buy am from outside, e be like betting on top aircraft wey never finish wey dey rely on supply chain wey Ankara no control. E be commitment wey dey cost plenty money, and di most important part dey outside Turkey.
KAAN: Di Reality
KAAN dey real. E fly for di first time for February 2024, stay for air for about 15 minutes, and don do more test flights since then. Dis one show say Turkish Aerospace Industries don achieve something big.
Di plan na to deliver about 20 “Block 10” aircraft to di Turkish Air Force around 2028–2029, and dem dey plan to start producing am in large quantities for di 2030s.
Ambition vs. Reality
On paper, KAAN dey try to compete with di F-35, wey dey dominate di fifth-generation area. But for Ankara, di aircraft be like di crown jewel for dia defense sector, wey dia exports don increase to record levels.
Di Big Problem: Engines
If you remove all di public relations talk, you go see di main problem: engines. Every KAAN prototype and early production aircraft dey use U.S.-built General Electric F110. Because of CAATSA sanctions, dem need American export license for dat engine. Without am, dem no fit produce, deliver, or maintain KAAN.
Di power to say no no dey Ankara; e dey Washington.
Di Truth Dey Out
Turkey's critics no expose dis matter – na dia own foreign minister do am. For late September 2025, journalist Amberin Zaman report say Hakan Fidan admit for New York say di F110 license “dey stuck for Congress”, and without Congress approval, “dem no fit start to produce KAAN”.
Dis talk cause wahala; officials try to change di meaning of his words, dey talk about “alternatives” and “multi-source planning”. But di basic engineering fact still remain: without U.S.-licensed engines, KAAN go dey at di mercy of external decisions for di first ten years.