Turkey’s New KAAN Prototype Completes First Taxi Test
Turkish Aerospace Industries said the production-representative jet is entering ground testing as it targets first flight within months and deliveries in 2028.
- On Friday, July 31, 2026, Turkish Aerospace Industries released footage showing the KAAN P1 prototype conducting powered taxi tests in Ankara, confirming the stealth fighter has advanced into ground testing ahead of its maiden flight.
- Unlike the P0 engineering demonstrator that flew in 2024, the P1 prototype incorporates structural refinements and full sensor integration; General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu described P1 as entering flight testing in its "real configuration."
- Current prototypes rely on American-made General Electric F110 engines secured through a $700 million deal approved by the U.S. Congress on July 9, 2026, though Turkey continues developing an indigenous turbofan for future production aircraft.
- TUSA targets P1's maiden flight within a couple of months, with the second prototype P2 expected to fly by year-end, enabling parallel testing that supports the goal of delivering fighters to the Turkish Air Force in 2028.
- Indonesia, which signed for 48 aircraft, represents the KAAN's primary export customer as Turkey positions the fighter as a competitive alternative to Western designs while reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.
13 Articles
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Turkey's KAAN fighter enters powered taxi tests with P1 prototype
Turkey’s next-generation KAAN fighter has entered another key phase of development after Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) began powered taxi tests with the P1 prototype, bringing the stealth aircraft closer to its next flight milestone. Footage released by the company shows the twin-engine jet rolling down the runway under its own power as engineers assess braking, steering, engine response and ground handling. Those evaluations are a standa…
Turkey’s new KAAN prototype completes first taxi test
Turkish Aerospace has released footage showing the KAAN P1 prototype completing its first taxi test, the first of two new airframes built to carry the bulk of the fifth-generation fighter’s flight test campaign. The video, published on July 31, 2026, shows the aircraft moving under its own power at the company’s Ankara facility for a low-speed taxi test. #KAAN pic.twitter.com/wWXXweP4af— Türk Havacılık Uzay Sanayii (@TUSAS_TR) July 31, 2026 Th…
One step closer: Turkish F-35 alternative nears first flight
Turkish Aerospace Industries, known by its Turkish acronym TUSAŞ, released new footage showing the KAAN P1 fighter jet prototype successfully conducting powered taxi tests, confirming the aircraft has moved into ground testing ahead of its first flight. KAAN is Türkiye’s fifth-generation stealth fighter program, a homegrown effort launched after the United States removed Türkiye from […]
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