Turkish Aerospace has released new footage showing the second airworthy prototype of its next-generation TF Kaan fighter conducting powered taxi tests, marking the latest milestone in the aircraft’s flight-test campaign and signaling that its maiden flight is now approaching.
The aircraft, designated P1, follows the original P0 prototype that made Kaan’s first-ever flight in February 2024. Unlike that initial demonstrator, P1 is intended to be a far more representative development aircraft. It is expected to play a central role in expanding the fighter’s development program as Turkey pushes toward production later this decade.
The newly released video shows P1 taxiing under its own power at increasing speeds, confirming that it has entered the final stages of ground testing before its first flight. Powered taxi tests verify engine operation, braking, steering, flight-control systems, and other critical functions before an aircraft is cleared to leave the ground.
The appearance of P1 also provides the clearest indication yet of how the Kaan design is evolving beyond the original demonstrator. While the overall stealthy twin-engine configuration remains unchanged, the new prototype incorporates several visible refinements that are in line with the move toward a more production-representative aircraft. Compared with P0, the control surfaces have been revised, there are subtle changes around the engine intakes and cockpit areas, and a cleaner external finish.
Standard (non-stealthy) exhaust nozzles remain for the twin GE Aerospace F110 turbofans.
The first prototype had a distinctive forward sensor installation, including what appears to be multi-purpose electro-optical and infrared search and track, or IRST, sensors in front of the cockpit and beneath the nose, respectively. These features remain present on the newer aircraft. The faceted sensor enclosures were both removed for the first flight of the P0. You can read more about the aircraft’s intriguing sensor setup here.
Turkish Aerospace has not detailed every modification, but P1 is widely expected to feature substantially more representative avionics, flight-control software, and mission systems than the P0, which is largely a proof-of-concept aircraft.
The P1 represents the Kaan program’s transition from a technology demonstrator to a developmental test fleet. Additional prototypes are expected to incorporate further structural, aerodynamic, and systems improvements before the aircraft reaches its final production configuration.
A head-on view of the P1 (above) compared to the P0 (below) reveals a different configuration for the actuators for the aerodynamic surfaces below the wings, a larger sensor aperture above the nose, and landing gear that is both more robust-looking and with main units set wider apart:
Turkish Aerospace has indicated that P1’s maiden flight is expected within the next couple of months. A third prototype, designated P2, is also under assembly, with the company aiming to have both aircraft flying before the end of this year. That would significantly accelerate the program by allowing multiple aircraft to conduct different elements of the flight-test campaign simultaneously. Initial deliveries to the Turkish Air Force continue to be targeted for 2028 — an ambitious schedule, to say the least.
The Kaan program was launched back in 2010 as the Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU), or National Combat Aircraft. Early on in its development, the aircraft was known as the TF-X. Now named TF Kaan, it is very much the jewel in the crown of Turkey’s burgeoning aerospace industry.
However, it is also worth keeping expectations in perspective. Kaan’s stated objective is to deliver a reduced-radar-signature fighter with high performance, advanced avionics, and modern mission systems. Achieving the same degree of sensor integration, data fusion, networking, and low-observable performance as a fifth-generation fighter, such as the F-35, represents a much higher bar. Even so, a meaningful reduction in radar signature — particularly from the frontal aspect — combined with modern sensors and weapons, would still represent a significant step-up in capability, at least in some respects, over Turkey’s existing fighter fleet, which is dominated by the 1970s-era F-16.
Reportedly, Turkey plans to complete three pre-production prototypes, to be followed by 250 series-production aircraft, incorporating yet more refinements.
Last month, a contract was reportedly signed for 20 examples of the initial Block 10 versions of the Kaan.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Kaan program has been its powerplant.
Although Turkey ultimately intends to equip the fighter with an indigenous engine, the prototypes and the first production aircraft will instead rely on the U.S.-built F110 turbofan. Export approval for those engines had emerged as one of the program’s most significant schedule risks. F110s are assembled under license in Turkey but are still governed by U.S. export restrictions.
That uncertainty eased after the Trump administration moved to approve the sale of dozens of F110 engines to Turkey in a deal reportedly worth more than $700 million, ensuring propulsion for the prototype fleet and early production aircraft while development of the indigenous TF35000 engine continues. The domestic engine is expected to arrive only in later production blocks, making continued access to the F110 critical to maintaining the current development timeline.
The Kaan’s fortunes have also been entwined with Turkish plans to buy the Lockheed Martin F-35. In 2019, Turkey was kicked out of the Joint Strike Fighter program, in which it had been deeply involved, including at an industrial level, with plans to buy around 100 of the stealth fighters. Washington took that decision after Turkey refused to give up its plans to purchase Russian-made S-400 air defense systems. Since then, there have been signs that the United States might reverse its decision and offer Ankara F-35s again, a development that would surely have knock-on effects for the Kaan.
Once in service, it is anticipated that the Kaan will be used alongside one or more domestically developed drones. Chief among these are the ANKA-3, a low-observable flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV), and the fighter-like Bayraktar Kizilelma. Again, should these prove successful, Ankara may opt for larger fleets of drones at the expense of more costly crewed fighters. The Kizilelma has already completed the first live trials of the K-SWARM concept, demonstrating collaborative operations between crewed and uncrewed aircraft as part of an effort to develop next-generation autonomous air combat capabilities.
It was announced only yesterday that the Kizilelma had successfully used its internal weapons bays to deploy air-to-ground munitions — in the shape of glide bombs — for the first time. The UCAV had already demonstrated surface-strike and air-to-air capabilities using conventional underwing hardpoints.
Export potential is another important consideration. The Kaan enters an increasingly competitive segment of the global fighter market alongside other medium-weight, low-observable designs, including China’s FC-31 and South Korea’s KF-21, both of which are positioned as more affordable alternatives to Western fifth-generation fighters. Turkey is likewise expected to pursue export customers to help sustain production and reduce program costs. Until the TF35000 engine comes online, any Kaan export sales would also be governed by U.S. restrictions on its engines.
The latest taxi-test footage signals that Turkey is moving into the next phase of Kaan development with a more mature prototype and an expanding flight-test fleet. If P1 flies on schedule and P2 follows later this year, Turkish Aerospace will have multiple aircraft collecting flight data in parallel, an essential step if it hopes to meet its questionably ambitious objective of new fighters being handed over to the Turkish Air Force in 2028.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
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