Turkish KAAN fighter jet debuts stunning new look

Indigenous KAAN fighter jet’s new exterior demonstrates the country’s growing expertise in combining advanced combat features with modern design

Türkiye’s aerospace prowess leaps forward with the KAAN, its fifth-generation fighter jet, now revealing its freshly painted exterior after its successful maiden flight last month.

This multi-role combat aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) hints at Türkiye’s advancing defense capabilities.

The Defence Industry Agency and TUSAS spearheaded the National Combat Aircraft (MMU) project as the prime contractor but saw collaboration across several Turkish firms.

KAAN has been designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and offers an impressive suite of features suitable for modern aerial warfare.

KAAN’s latest updates

General Manager of TUSAS Temel Kotil proudly announced the completion of KAAN’s painting process on Sunday morning.

“We have now painted KAAN. Due to time constraints, it had initially flown unpainted. It (the color) turned out very beautiful,” Kotil shared on social media.

The jet sports military-grade paints from Turkish R&D and chemical firm BOTEK, featuring a dominant grey hue using BOTEK’s ALPAR MIL-PRF-23377 Primer Paint and MIL-PRF-85285 Polyurethane Topcoat Aircraft Paints.

KAAN’s robust design incorporates essential modern jet fighter features such as stealth capabilities, internal weapon bays, high maneuverability, enhanced situational awareness, and sensor fusion.

The cockpit, equipped for fifth-generation warfare, is designed to reduce pilot workload significantly.

Furthermore, KAAN boosts its air combat potential with new weapons, enabling extended air-to-air combat range and precision strikes from internal weapon bays at high or supersonic speeds. AI and neural network support enhance its combat effectiveness.

Another groundbreaking feature of KAAN is its Manned Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capability.

Similar to those in the Bayraktar Kizilelma, pilots in KAAN will be able to control unmanned aerial vehicles, adding a layer of strategic versatility to its operations.

KAAN continues to attract global attention

Türkiye’s fifth-generation fighter jet is drawing international attention, particularly from Japan and Thailand.

Japan’s established aviation magazine Koku-Fan recently featured KAAN, acknowledging its place in world aviation history following its initial flight. Notably, the headline read, “NATO’s strategic point Türkiye and the first flight of the stealth aircraft KAAN.”

In Thailand, there’s a significant public interest in acquiring KAAN, with many recognizing Türkiye as a leading Muslim country capable of producing its advanced weapons.

This sentiment is echoed in comments on Thailand’s PPTV HD 36, where viewers expressed pride in Türkiye’s achievements and suggested the potential acquisition of KAAN because of the friendly relations between the countries.