Turkish Aerospace (TAI) is nothing if not ambitious, with a spate of first flights since the last Farnborough air show and plans to show off two new types this year.
The company recently underwent a change in leadership, with general manager Temel Kotil stepping down in favour of Mehmet Demiroglu, who previously headed the company’s helicopter programmes.
Kotil, formerly the chief executive of Turkish Airlines, oversaw a period of strong programme growth at TAI.
His eight years at the helm saw maiden flights for aircraft such as the developmental Kaan fighter, Hurjet advanced jet trainer, the T625 Gokbey helicopter, Hurkus B basic trainer, T929 ATAK attack helicopter, as well as the Anka III and Aksungur unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).
Of these, four had their maiden sorties since the 2022 Farnborough show, with the Kaan making its first flight in February and the stealthy Anka III in December 2023. The Hurjet and T929 both flew for the first time in April 2023.
Of this broad range of ambitious programmes, the Kaan is the most widely observed. Development of the type, previously known as the TF-X, was rapid after the unveiling of a mock-up at the Paris air show in 2019, with the prototype unveiled in May 2023.
TAI intends to deliver 20 Kaan fighters to the Turkish air force by 2028 in an initial Block 10 configuration. As the aircraft matures, subsequent deliveries will be in an updated Block 20 standard.
The initial market for the Kaan is the Turkish air force, which will start replacing its Lockheed Martin F-16s in the 2030s. TAI says the programme places Turkey among the elite group of countries that can produce a fifth-generation fighter that incorporates stealth, a high degree of sensor fusion, internal weapons carriage, and high manoeuvrability.
TAI also sees an international market for the Kaan. This could well see the type duelling with the latest iteration of the F-16 – the Block 70/72, the Dassault Rafale, the Lockheed F-35, the Saab Gripen E/F, as well another newcomer in the fighter business, the Korea Aerospace Industries KF-21.
TAI also appears ready to collaborate with foreign partners who are interested in developing their aerospace sectors. At a Malaysian defence show in May, Turkey’s deputy defence minister offered the Southeast Asian nation the opportunity to work on the programme.
A pair of GE Aerospace F110 engines power the Kaan, but at the 2023 Paris air show Kotil said that the company is working on an indigenous powerplant. The fighter is envisaged operating alongside other combat aircraft as well as unmanned combat vehicles, a forerunner of which is the Anka III.
Turkey’s ambitions on the engine front were underlined recently by Fahrettin Ozturk, chairman of Turkish Engine Industries. Speaking with the Turkey Today news outlet, he observes that the Kaan uses the same engine as the F-16 and reiterated that a local engine is in the works. He observed that “everything in the Kaan, except the ejection seat and engine, is locally produced”.
Meanwhile, the Hurjet is slated to appear in the Farnborough flying display. The type has been undergoing tests in Turkey that have broadened its flight envelope.
At the Paris air show in 2023, Kotil stated his view that there is a total market for 400 Hurjets in the next two decades, with 100 going to the Turkish air force and 300 for export customers.
Powered by a single GE F404 engine, the Hurjet has yet to secure its first international order. In 2023 it lost out to KAI’s FA-50 in a Malaysian requirement for 18 aircraft.
Another TAI type appearing in the flying display will be the T625, a 6t utility helicopter, which had its maiden sortie in 2018 with two CTS800 turboshafts, produced by the LHTEC joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Honeywell. In April 2023, the T625 attained a significant milestone, operating a sortie with the locally developed TS1400 turboshaft.
The T625 targets the same segment as the Leonardo Helicopters AW139 and Airbus Helicopters H175. Missions include VIP transport, cargo transport, search and rescue, and offshore support.
Early in 2024, TAI said that three examples will be delivered to Turkey’s interior ministry for internal security work.
“The T625 Gokbey helicopter will be able to execute its missions in the most challenging climates and terrains, at high altitudes and temperatures, day and night, for both domestic and international users,” says TAI.
In addition to the higher profile platforms, work is also underway with the Anka III stealth UAV, which uses the same ground system as the baseline Anka and Aksungur UAVs. This allows users to operate all three UAV types seamlessly.
With a payload of 1,200kg (2,650lb), the Anka III features internal an external weapons stations. Missions include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as electronic warfare, the suppression of enemy air defences, and attack missions. TAI says the Anka III will have an air-to-air capability against helicopters, propeller aircraft and UAVs.
