Indonesia seeks role in Türkiye’s KAAN fighter jet and submarine projects

Indonesia is looking to participate in Türkiye’s KAAN fighter jet and submarine programs, signaling a shift in the Southeast Asian nation’s defense posture toward partnerships beyond its traditional allies.

Following high-level meetings in Ankara, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the intent to establish a joint venture involving strategic defense firms from both countries.

“Indonesia wants to be part of the fifth-generation national fighter jet KAAN project, and similarly, we are interested in submarine development with Turkish defense industry partners,” Subianto said during a joint press conference.

Joint venture expands defense cooperation

Although details regarding specific companies or technological contributions remain undisclosed, the joint venture is expected to deepen defense industry ties.

The agreement follows an collaboration in February between Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar and Indonesia’s Republikorp to establish a drone production facility in Indonesia.

Indonesia’s mixed record on fighter jet projects

Indonesia’s interest in the KAAN program comes amid setbacks in its involvement with South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jet project. While Jakarta initially committed to fund 20% of development costs, financial delays, reduced contributions, and unfulfilled payments have hindered the collaboration.

Additionally, allegations of technology leaks involving Indonesian engineers have strained relations. Despite this, South Korea continues to engage Jakarta, partly due to Indonesia’s status as the KF-21’s initial export customer.

Submarine development track complicated

Indonesia’s past collaboration with South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering on submarines was also beset by delays.

Jakarta’s potential partnership with Türkiye on submarine production may offer a reset opportunity, although its track record raises questions about long-term commitment and project execution.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense (MoD) has recently announced significant progress in its ambitious naval projects, including the National Submarine (MILDEN), the TF-2000 Air Defense Destroyer, and the National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEM).

MILDEN: National Submarine Program

To meet the Turkish Naval Forces’ long-term requirements for attack submarines in the 2030s and beyond, the MILDEN Project was initiated.

This ambitious program aims to design and construct Türkiye’s first fully indigenous submarine, utilizing the expertise and infrastructure gained during the Reis Class construction.

Key milestones and design details:

• Launch and development: The MILDEN project began on April 14, 2010, under the coordination of the Turkish Naval Research Center Command (ARMERKOM) since 2012.
• Design approval: The Concept Design phase was completed and approved in January 2022.
• Technical features: The MILDEN submarines will have a surface displacement of 2,700 tons, a length exceeding 80 meters, and an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system powered by six Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell modules, methanol-reformer systems, and lithium-ion batteries.
• Weapon systems: Eight 533mm torpedo tubes capable of launching AKYA National heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes (HWTs), Sub-ATMACA anti-ship missiles, and GEZGIN submarine-launched cruise missiles.
• Sonar and sensor suite: Equipped with indigenous low-frequency flank array, bow array, and towed array sonar systems, along with advanced radar systems.

Türkiye’s KAAN 5th generation fighter jet development project

Türkiye’s first homegrown, fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN is being developed in a project initiated to produce a domestically designed and developed fighter aircraft to replace the F-16 aircraft in the inventory of the Turkish Air Force, which is planned to be phased out gradually starting in the 2030s. The project is led by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as the main contractor.

The Turkish Fighter KAAN Development Project Agreement was signed with the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) on Aug. 5, 2016. KAAN is expected to offer “superior capabilities” for both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions.

Following the completion of production and assembly activities for the prototype of the Turkish Fighter KAAN, ground testing began.

After completing the testing phase, KAAN successfully performed its maiden flight on Feb. 21, 2024, staying airborne for 13 minutes. During this flight, KAAN reached an altitude of 8,000 feet and a speed of 230 knots.

KAAN’s second test flight took place on May 6, 2024, lasting 14 minutes, during which it climbed to 10,000 feet and reached a speed of 230 knots.