Fahrettin Öztürk, Chairman of the Board of Directors at TEI (Tusaş Motor Sanayii), shared important updates regarding the engine procurement processes forthe HÜRJET trainer aircraft and the KAANNational Fighter Aircraft. Öztürk reported that approval had been received from the U.S. Congress for the HÜRJET, while the process for the KAAN is proceeding as planned.
Approval from the U.S. for the HÜRJET Engine
Fahrettin Öztürk officially announced that approval had been received from the U.S. Congress for the purchase of GE Aerospace F404 engines to be used in the HÜRJET training aircraft. This development has put an end to the uncertainty surrounding engine procurement for the HÜRJET project.
KAAN Engine Process Continues
Meanwhile, the process regarding the GE Aerospace F110 engines to be used in the National Fighter Aircraft KAAN is ongoing. Öztürk stated that there is currently no rejection regarding the F110 engine and emphasized that production has not been disrupted:
“This process continues for the KAAN. As far as we know, there is currently no rejection regarding the F110 engine. In other words, there is no situation where we’d have to say, ‘We don’t have our engine, so we can’t produce the KAAN.’”
The project’s production phase is proceeding as planned. While production of four KAAN prototypes equipped with F-110 engines continues, plans are in place to produce seven more prototypes next year.
Domestic Engine Target: 2032
The F110 engine will also be used in the first 20 KAAN aircraft, which are slated for production in 2027 and delivery in 2028. For the delivery of these aircraft, either engine approval from the U.S. will be required, or engines from alternative manufacturers will need to be used.
Meanwhile, efforts to develop a domestic engine—Turkey’s ultimate goal—are also continuing. The domestically developed and nationally produced TF35000 engine, developed in collaboration between TEI and TRMOTOR, is slated to be integrated into the KAAN by 2032. Meanwhile, Indonesia has placed an order for 48 KAAN aircraft as part of the project.
