Turkish KAAN is no longer considered by its developers as just a future replacement for the F-16. The project's chief engineer placed the new fighter in the same category as the Russian Su-57, the American F-22, and the Chinese J-20, effectively designating them as the aircraft with which Turkey intends to compete.
This positioning was voiced in an interview with KAAN's chief engineer, Emre Yaban. According to him, the aircraft is being developed with capabilities characteristic of fifth-generation fighters, including low radar observability, high maneuverability, and the ability to effectively operate in air combat. Among these, the developer specifically named the Su-57.
The comparison with the Su-57 is particularly important due to the difference in program maturity. The Russian fighter is already in serial production and is operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces, while the first KAAN prototype took to the skies only on February 21, 2024. The maiden flight lasted 13 minutes: the aircraft reached an altitude of about 2440 m and a speed of 426 km/h.
At the same time, the Turkish aircraft is indeed being designed with a set of characteristics that take it far beyond a simple F-16 replacement. TUSAŞ claims a maximum speed of up to Mach 1.8, a service ceiling of 16,764 m, supercruise capability, internal weapon bays, and reduced radar observability. The planned powerplant includes two engines, each with a thrust of 13,150 kgf.
The day before, "Pervyy Tekhnicheskiy" reported that India is preparing its Su-30MKI fighters to counter Chinese J-20s and plans to significantly upgrade its aircraft.