NATO Ally Turkey Updates Progress on New Rival Fighter Jet to US F-35

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According to sources familiar with the matter, cited by Aviation Week, a defense industry publication, Turkey is making progress on its advanced KAAN fighter jet. Newsweek has reached out to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for comment.

### Why It Matters
Turkey’s decision to develop its own fighter aircraft came after it was expelled from the U.S. F-35 program in 2019 following the acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, which led to sanctions and diplomatic fallout with NATO allies. The new fighter aims to replace Turkey’s aging F-16 fleet and achieve strategic independence.

The KAAN could soon rival the U.S.-made stealth jet by positioning itself as a more accessible alternative for arms sales in the “global south.” For example, Turkey signed an export deal with Indonesia for 48 KAAN fighters worth approximately $10 billion.

### What To Know
TAI officials announced that two prototypes of the KAAN fighter are currently undergoing advanced structural assembly stages. System integration work is underway in Ankara. The company describes the Turkish fighter as a fifth-generation aircraft, with superior capabilities for both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions.

In a unique start to his ruling against President Donald Trump’s administration on September 30, U.S. District Court Judge William Young included a scanned handwritten note sent to his office. The note read: “Trump has pardons and tanks – what do you have?” At the top of Young’s opinion in AAUP v. Rubio, which ruled that Trump’s effort to deport foreign-born student protesters was unconstitutional.

October 8, 2025

Analysts have noted Turkey’s ambitious development but remain skeptical about whether the jet can match F-35 capabilities. The aircraft incorporates design elements from the latest U.S. jets, resembling both the F-22 Raptor and F-35, with features like a low radar cross-section, internal weapons bays, and advanced sensor fusion.

TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu stated that other countries, including U.S. partners Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have shown interest in the KAAN fighter jet, especially since these nations remain unable to obtain F-35s or have canceled their programs.

Demiroglu also signaled Turkey’s intention to build a sixth-generation fighter as well.

### What People Are Saying
Mehmet Demiroglu told reporters on August 29 that TAI is in the “Ph.D. stage of its life” and aims to be a pioneer in developing a sixth-generation fighter, despite not being the first.

Journalist Steve Balestrieri wrote in The National Security Journal on August 5 that while the body of the KAAN closely resembles U.S. fifth-generation fighters, it features stealth characteristics built into the airframe, internal weapons bays, and advanced radar and sensor systems to minimize its radar cross-section.

### What Happens Next
Demiroglu said intensive flight testing of the KAAN will begin in 2026.