Developed by Turkish Aerospace with indigenous capabilities, the KAAN aircraft represents a major success for Türkiye on the international stage. Under the agreement, 48 KAAN jets will be delivered to Indonesia within 120 months.
The signing ceremony took place on 11 June in Jakarta and was attended by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, President of Defence Industries Haluk Görgün, Indonesian Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Chairman of Turkish Aerospace Ömer Cihad Vardan, Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of National Defence and Turkish Aerospace’s Vice Chairman Şuay Alpay, and Turkish Aerospace CEO Dr Mehmet Demiroğlu. The aircraft will be equipped with domestically produced engines, supporting Türkiye’s objective of full self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
The agreement also includes a significant technology transfer component aimed at enhancing Indonesia’s capabilities in the aviation sector. It enables the utilisation of Indonesia’s domestic competencies in the production of KAAN, establishing a cooperative manufacturing framework.
In a statement announcing the agreement, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: “This agreement, which demonstrates the progress and current level of our national defence industry, will bring prosperity to both Türkiye and Indonesia.” He added, “I extend my greetings and thanks to my esteemed counterpart, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, in whose presence the agreement was signed.”
President Erdoğan also congratulated the institutions involved in the agreement, stating: “I also congratulate all our institutions involved in the production of KAAN and in signing this historic export deal, especially the Presidency of Defence Industries and Turkish Aerospace.”
KAAN is Türkiye’s first indigenously developed fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft. It features high manoeuvrability, low radar cross-section, AI-assisted avionics, and network-enabled warfare capabilities.
The aircraft is designed to perform effectively in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It symbolises Türkiye’s vision of achieving full independence in advanced defence technologies.
KAAN successfully completed its maiden flight on 21 February 2024. Its second test flight took place on 6 May 2024, marking continued progress in the programme.
