«We will not only buy but also use it. We also know where to use it». These are the words of said Taking into account the fact that the TAI TF KAAN aircraft is to be presented in its finished form only in 2028, this is a rather bold statement. So, what are the prospects for purchasing these not-yet-completed fighters, whether Ukraine will join their development, and what kind of aircraft is this — let’s try to figure it out.
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Understanding the history of this project, particularly in terms of engine development, is important to understand the prospects of Ukrainian manufacturers, as stated.
TAI TF Kaan formerly known as the TF-X, with the alternative name TF («Turkish Fighter»), or Turkish MMU (Milli Muharip Uçak, National Combat Aircraft) — a twin-engine, all-weather airborne fighter aircraft being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and BAE Systems as its subcontractor. The aircraft is intended to replace F-16s, which Turkey is currently trying to purchase, as well as modernize existing ones. Ground tests of the fighter prototype began on March 16, 2023. The first flight of the aircraft was scheduled for December 27, 2023, but was postponed to a later date.
The decision to design, develop and produce a national next-generation fighter jet was made by Turkey on December 15, 2010. The purpose of the aircraft was to replace the F-16 and to work together in the armed forces along with other models such as the F-35 Lightning II.
In 2015, TAI presented three potential airframe configurations: twin-engine, as in the Lockheed Martin F-22, single-engine, as in the F-16, and in a configuration similar to the Saab JAS 39 Gripen. The twin-engine configuration was supported by the Turkish government. In 2016, a request for proposals for the aircraft’s engine was published, to which General Electric, Eurojet, and Snecma responded. According to the request, the engine infrastructure should be developed in Turkey, and production should remain in the country as long as possible.
In June 2021, the Turkish Air Force announced in a press presentation its requirements regarding the minimum capabilities of the TF-X:
| The crew | One or two pilots |
| Length | 21 м |
| Wingspan | 14 м |
| Height | 6 м |
| Wing area | 60 м2 |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 27 215 kg |
| Power plant | 2 × General Electric F110-GE-129 Turbofan, 76.31 kN thrust, 131 kN with afterburner |
| Maximum speed | 1.8 Mach |
More in December 2015 the Undersecretary of the Turkish Defense Industry announced that BAE Systems had been selected to help develop the country’s next-generation fighter jet. On the same day, Rolls-Royce offered technology for the EJ200 engine and joint development. During British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to Turkey in January 2017, representatives of BAE Systems and TAI signed an engineering assistance agreement.
On January 20, 2015, the Turkish defense concern ASELSAN announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Eurojet, the manufacturer of the EJ200 engine used in the Eurofighter Typhoon, to use this engine in the project. The companies announced cooperation and joint development of engine management software systems and engine maintenance monitoring systems.
In May 2017, Rolls-Royce established a joint venture with Turkey’s Kale Group to develop and manufacture engines for the project. Another competitor in this is TRMotor Power Systems, founded in April 2017 by BMC, TAI and SSTEK. On November 8, 2018, TRMotor signed a memorandum of understanding with the Defense Industry Board to develop a jet engine for the project.
General Electric has not openly expressed interest in the TF-X project, and its Turkish partner Tusas Engine Industries (TEI) has announced that it will participate in the engine development phase. On June 11, 2018, TEI’s general manager said that they had proposed a mature engine for which they had completed a commercial proposal for a subcomponent testing infrastructure for the compressor. TEI has committed to transfer all intellectual property rights to the government. In October 2018, Turkish media reported that an unknown number of the initial production fighter jets will be powered by General Electric F110 engines until the Turkish Air Engine Company (TAEC) completes work on its own engine.
On March 14, 2022, Kale and Rolls-Royce resumed engine development for the TF-X program, stating that previous disputes between the companies had been resolved and that the first prototypes would use the F110 engine.
At the same time, on March 5, 2022, Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Defense Industry said in a television interview that the government would now discuss a possible engine deal with Rolls-Royce.
On July 2, 2022, the Defense Industries Agency published an invitation to tender for the development of the engine. TRMotor, which is a subsidiary of TAI, submitted its proposal, as did the Turkish Air Engine Company (TAEC), as did the Kale Group and Rolls-Royce consortium.
«It is extremely important for us that the engine is produced in Turkey… Turkey should have intellectual property rights», — Ismail Demir, Deputy Minister of Defense Industry of Turkey.
This position was the main stumbling block in the customer’s relations with Rolls-Royce and other companies.
November 4, 2021 was manufactured the first prototype of the airplane. The first flight was scheduled for 2025, but it was later postponed to the end of 2023, then postponed again.
In May 2023, during an air show in Turkey, Temel Kotil, CEO of TAI, warned that the price of the aircraft might be slightly higher than its 2021 promise of $100 million per unit. TAI is expected to deliver twenty aircraft to the Turkish Air Force in 2028, with plans to increase the delivery rate to two aircraft per month by 2029.
In July 2023, at the 16th International Defense Industry Fair, a protocol agreement was signed to involve Azerbaijan in the project, with the identification of Azerbaijani companies and production facilities that could be used. Azerbaijan’s participation will also bring fresh capital to move the project forward after the manufacturer expressed concerns about rising costs in May 2023. Over the course of the project’s history, Sweden’s SAAB has withdrawn from the project, and in 2018, Russia expressed interest in participating.
For now, the prototypes and the first batch of aircraft will be powered by General Electric F110 engines until the production of the TAEC engine, a joint venture between Turkey’s Kale and Britain’s Rolls-Royce, is ready. Ismail Demir also said that in addition to these two engines, an alternative option from an unnamed country is being considered.
As you can see, the story of the aircraft engine is extremely complicated. It involves Turkey’s requirements for localization of production and intellectual property, as well as a large number of powerful competitors, the engines of one of which have already been installed on prototypes and are planned for the first batch. So, despite the encouraging words of the Turkish deputy minister about «unnamed country», it will be a tough fight for Ukraine. Here’s what He replied Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar when asked about the participation of Ukrainian companies in the tender mentioned above (translated from Turkish):
«Yes, there is a consortium of Ukrainian companies that compete with other manufacturers for this engine. But Ukraine has experience and a good partnership reputation, and we can quickly produce equipment with the characteristics that are very necessary for this aircraft. This cooperation will also bring a lot of profit to the Turkish side. Because having our own production using new technologies is a progress not only in strengthening security and defense, but also in the ability to compete in the markets. I believe that Kaan can get the full potential to compete with F35 and F22, and this is the story of the future».
As for the purchase of airplanes, it is difficult to say anything confidently a few years before such an opportunity. There is a war going on in Ukraine, and there are also tumultuous political processes going on around it. So it seems more like a wish than a concrete plan. On the one hand, it will be easier to implement in cooperation with Turkey on the production of the aircraft, on the other hand, the almost complete Turkish intellectual property on this weapon may impose some restrictions on Ukraine’s actions in the future.