Turkey's KAAN Fighter Prototype Completes Taxi Test

KAAN Turkish Aerospace taxi test P1 prototype 2028 delivery

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) released footage on 31 July 2026 showing the KAAN P1 prototype completing its first powered taxi test on a runway at the company’s Ankara facility. The unpainted airframe, built with the updated P1 and P2 architecture, moved under its own twin‑engine power as engineers evaluated brakes, steering and engine response. The test follows the earlier KAAN P0 demonstrator, which made its maiden flight on 21 February 2024 (13 minutes) and a second flight on 6 May 2024 (14 minutes, 10 000 ft, 230 kt). TUSAŞ plans a maiden flight for P1 within the next few months and expects both P1 and the subsequent P2 prototype to be airborne by the end of 2026. The program targets delivery of the fifth‑generation stealth fighter to the Turkish Air Force in 2028, with an initial batch powered by U.S.‑made General Electric F110 engines. U.S. Congress cleared the export of 80 F110 engines to Turkey in July 2026, supporting the early production phase. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the KAAN name on 1 May 2023, acknowledging MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli as the name’s source. The successful taxi test marks a critical step toward full flight testing and eventual serial production of the indigenous KAAN fighter.

Entities

Devlet Bahçeli · General Electric (F110 engine) · KAAN (Milli Muharip Uçak) · KAAN (Turkey's fifth‑generation fighter) · KAAN (Turkish fifth‑generation fighter) · Mehmet Demiroğlu · President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan · Turkey · Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) · Turkish Air Force

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] KAAN is a fifth‑generation, twin‑engine, low‑observable fighter equipped with AI and neural‑network‑assisted combat capabilities. haber.mynet.com · www.61saat.com · shiftdelete.net
[● 3 SOURCES] President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the KAAN name on 1 May 2023, noting it was supplied by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli. www.turkgun.com · www.61saat.com · haber.mynet.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The new KAAN‑1 prototype features updated P1 and P2 architecture and is currently unpainted. www.kamuajans.com · www.yuzde100yerli.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The KAAN programme plans to deliver the aircraft to the Turkish Air Force by the end of 2028. haber.mynet.com · www.yuzde100yerli.com · www.bursahakimiyet.com.tr · www.donanimhaber.com
[● 3 SOURCES] KAAN‑0 performed a second flight on 6 May 2024, reaching 10 000 ft and 230 kt for 14 minutes. haber.mynet.com · www.bursahakimiyet.com.tr · www.haber16.com
[DISPUTED] KAAN‑0 completed its maiden flight on 21 February 2024, lasting 13 minutes. haber.mynet.com · www.bursahakimiyet.com.tr · www.haber16.com
[● 9 SOURCES] KAAN‑1 prototype performed its first taxi test on a runway successfully. www.takvim.com.tr · haber.mynet.com · www.turkgun.com · www.kamuajans.com · www.yuzde100yerli.com · +4 more
[● 4 SOURCES] KAAN P1 prototype completed its first powered taxi test at TUSAŞ facilities in Ankara on 31 July 2026. avioblog.it · turkishminute.com · indomiliter.com · quwa.org
[● 2 SOURCES] U.S. Congress approved the export of 80 GE F110 engines to Turkey for the KAAN program in July 2026. turkishminute.com · freerepublic.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The P1 prototype is unpainted and incorporates updated P1 and P2 architecture. www.kamuajans.com · avioblog.it · turkishminute.com
[● 3 SOURCES] TUSAŞ aims for the maiden flight of P1 within a few months and expects both P1 and P2 to be airborne by the end of 2026. avioblog.it · indomiliter.com · quwa.org