Overhead view of the TUSAŞ KAAN P1 fighter prototype on a runway during ground tests

KAAN P1 First Flight: Turkey’s Stealth Fighter Weeks Away

by Max Grünwald | Oct 3, 2026 | Aviazione militare, Notizia | 0 comments

Turkey's stealth fighter is about to fly again, this time in the form it is meant to be built in. Speaking at the TEKNOFEST Southeast technology festival on 2 October, Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) general manager Mehmet Demiroğlu said all system checks on the first KAAN prototype, P1, have been completed and that it should take to the air within a few weeks.

The second prototype, P2, is not far behind. Demiroğlu said it has already completed slow taxi tests and will follow P1 into the air, before the end of 2026 if nothing slips.

For a programme that flew a much rougher prototype in February 2024 and has spent the time since building the real thing, that is the moment KAAN stops being a demonstrator and starts being a fighter.

Informazioni rapide

Aeromobili: TUSAŞ KAAN fifth-generation fighter
P1: All system checks completed; first flight expected within weeks
P2: In assembly and test; slow taxi tests done; to fly after P1
Earlier milestone: The first flying prototype flew for 13 minutes on 21 February 2024
Motori: Prototypes use two General Electric F110 engines
Said by: Mehmet Demiroğlu, TUSAŞ general manager
Dove: TEKNOFEST Southeast, 2 October 2026, reported by Anadolu Agency

Why P1 matters

The aircraft that flew in 2024 was an early prototype, built to prove that the basic design worked. P1 is the first of the prototypes built to the configuration TUSAŞ intends to put into production, and it was rolled out for ground and taxi tests over the summer.

“We'll launch the P1 and the P2 immediately after, if there are no setbacks or delays, since we've already done the slow taxi tests for the P2.”

Mehmet Demiroğlu — general manager of Turkish Aerospace, quoted by Anadolu Agency

Those tests check the things a first flight depends on: engines, hydraulics, flight controls, avionics, landing gear and brakes. With them signed off, the next step is the flight itself, and then a long campaign of envelope expansion.

The first KAAN prototype during taxi trials at Ankara in 2023 — The first KAAN prototype, then still known as TF-X, during taxi trials at the TUSAŞ facility in Ankara in March 2023, almost a year before its first flight. Photo: Dimir / CC BY-SA 4.0

The engine question

Like the first prototype, the KAAN development aircraft are powered by two General Electric F110 engines, the same family that powers late-model F-16s and the F-15EX. Turkey wants a domestic engine for production aircraft, and that remains the programme's biggest long-term risk.

In the meantime, the US has cleared further F110 sales to Turkey, which keeps the prototypes and early production aircraft flying while the Turkish engine is developed.

Building the factory around it

Demiroğlu also said TUSAŞ is restructuring its production model to move up to 70% of parts and assembly work to subcontractors, a necessary step if KAAN is to be built at the rate the Turkish Air Force and potential export customers want.

Indonesia has signed for KAAN, and Egypt has been discussing joining the programme. For the Turkish Air Force, which was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019, KAAN is the only realistic route to a home-built fifth-generation fighter. The next few weeks will show how close that route really is.

Sources: Anadolu Agency, anews, ADDR Magazine, Turkish Aerospace

Domande frequenti

When will the KAAN P1 prototype fly?

Turkish Aerospace general manager Mehmet Demiroğlu said on 2 October 2026 that all system checks on KAAN P1 have been completed and that it should make its first flight within a few weeks.

Has the KAAN fighter flown before?

Yes. The first flying KAAN prototype made a 13-minute first flight on 21 February 2024. P1 is the first of the prototypes built to the configuration Turkish Aerospace intends to put into production.

What engines does the KAAN use?

The KAAN prototypes are powered by two General Electric F110 engines. Turkey is developing a domestic engine for later production aircraft.

When will KAAN P2 fly?

According to Turkish Aerospace, KAAN P2 has completed slow taxi tests and is expected to fly after P1, before the end of 2026 if there are no delays.

Who is buying the KAAN fighter?

The Turkish Air Force is the launch customer. Indonesia has signed an agreement for KAAN, and Egypt has been in talks about joining the programme.