Türkiye has reached a critical milestone in one of its most ambitious defense aviation projects, the KAAN National Combat Aircraft. Mehmet Demiroğlu, CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), confirmed that the KAAN prototype is expected to begin test flights by the end of April. This development represents a historic step toward Türkiye’s goal of fielding an indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet.

Demiroğlu described 2025 as a “golden year” for TUSAŞ, while emphasizing that 2026 and 2027 are expected to surpass it in terms of production and exports. He stated that TUSAŞ exceeded 1 billion USD in exports last year and set a new target of 1.5 billion USD for 2026. The KAAN program is expected to play a key role in achieving this target, not only as a strategic defense asset but also as a high-value export platform.

Alongside KAAN, several other major aviation programs continue to progress. The HÜRJET jet trainer is scheduled to conduct its first Block 0 flights in 2026, with the initial flight planned for May–June. The GÖKBEY utility helicopter is also approaching a significant milestone, as TUSAŞ aims to obtain its civil certification within the next few months, allowing deliveries to accelerate.

A crucial component of the KAAN program is its indigenous engine development. TEI (TUSAŞ Engine Industries) CEO Mahmut Akşit announced that the KAAN engine has reached the Critical Design Review stage. He stated that ground tests are expected to begin within the year, a major achievement toward reducing foreign dependency in high-performance military jet engines.

With the start of test flights, KAAN will place Türkiye among a select group of countries capable of designing, developing, and flying a fifth-generation combat aircraft using national resources. As the program advances toward serial production and future exports, KAAN is expected to significantly strengthen Türkiye’s position in the global defense and aerospace market.