According to Turkish media, Turkey’s first indigenously built ‘Fifth Generation’ fighter jet Kan (KAAN) completed its maiden flight on Wednesday at Akinci Air Base near Ankara.
According to the CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), the warplane manufacturer, the first flight took 13 minutes while the aircraft reached an altitude of 8,000 feet at a speed of 230 knots.
According to the report, Turkey started the fighter jet development program in December 2010. In August 2016, an agreement was reached between the government and the Turkish Aerospace Company to replace the F-16 fleet purchased from the US with fifth-generation fighter jets to meet the needs of the Turkish Air Force by 2030.
With the first successful flight of the Kahn, Turkey has become one of the countries producing the fifth-generation aircraft.
The aircraft’s features include high radar stealth, body-mounted weapons and high manoeuvrability.
In this regard, the Turkish President, while addressing a rally organized by his political party, Justice and Development Party, said that Turkey has crossed the critical stage regarding the production of 5th generation fighter jets, today for the Turkish defence industry. It’s a proud day.
He said that our national warplane Kan has successfully made its first flight, this is an achievement of Turkey and we will continue to do similar feats in the future.
It should be noted that earlier in 2019, Turkey was excluded from the US-led F-35 fighter jet production program as a result of buying the S-400 air defence system from Russia.
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