Turkish defense firm eyes more contracts to export KAAN fighter jets

PARIS

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) is in talks with several countries to export its domestically developed KAAN fighter jet, the company's CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu said Monday.

TUSAŞ is presenting its products at the 55th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, including the multi-role Gökbey helicopter, the Hürkuş basic training aircraft, the Hürjet advanced jet trainer, and the Aksungur unmanned aerial vehicle.

“We define TUSAŞ as the supermarket of Türkiye’s aviation, with our units producing helicopters, UAVs, satellites, and even products for Airbus and Boeing—we have everything,” said Demiroğlu, who is also attending the event.

Demiroğlu said Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed interest in the KAAN fighter jet during his visit to Türkiye in April. TUSAŞ followed up with a visit to Indonesia in May, resulting in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Indo Defense Expo 2025 in Jakarta.

Noting that this memorandum is more than a simple agreement, Demiroğlu said: “This is a framework agreement that determines what the product is, how many of them will be made, and how they will be.”

“We will hopefully sign the final contract in a few months,” he added.

Demiroğlu noted that KAAN has attracted strong interest globally.

“We’re in talks with some countries, and we expect serious developments from others, too,” he noted.

Demiroğlu mentioned that TUSAŞ is working with various countries, including Spain, on the Hürjet.

“Spain choosing our Hürjet stirred a significant buzz both in Europe and around the world as the second NATO country to choose it, after Türkiye, whose air force will also use the aircraft for training purposes,” he said.

European defense spending has surged over the past year, Demiroğlu noted, adding that Türkiye is well-positioned to meet rising demand.

“We have the infrastructure and the product range to meet both our own needs and those of our allies,” he said. “Türkiye is one of the candidates with a serious advantage as a source for defense products.”

He also highlighted past collaborations with European manufacturers, including Airbus and the helicopter division of Italian aerospace giant Leonardo SpA, saying that TUSAŞ is prepared to meet Europe’s platform requirements.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on June 11 announced that Türkiye will produce and export 48 homegrown Kaan fighter jets to Indonesia under a new defense agreement, 

Kaan, a fifth-generation fighter jet, made its maiden flight last year at 230 knots and 8,000 feet.

TUSAŞ plans to have at least two Kaans flying within 2025, with a goal of having three airborne, Demiroğlu, said last month.

By the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026, the second prototype will take to the skies, followed by the third prototype a few months later, he added.

By 2034, TUSAŞ plans to produce 500 Kaan, Hürjet and Hürkuş aircraft, he said, noting that additionally, more than 350 Gökbey, Atak, Atak-2 helicopters and similar platforms are planned for production.

TUSAŞ is expanding into new markets, aiming to boost revenue from around $3 billion last year to $4.3 billion in 2025.

The target is to achieve $12 billion in revenue by 2034.