Overview
- The P1 prototype completed powered taxi tests on Friday, July 31, 2026, at TUSAŞ’s Ankara facility, moving the jet into ground validations needed before a first flight.
- TUSAŞ leadership said a first flight for P1 is likely within months and that the P2 prototype should join flight testing before the end of 2026 to run parallel test campaigns.
- Turkey currently holds 10 U.S.-built General Electric F110 engines in Ankara for prototypes and secured export authorization for additional F110 purchases after U.S. congressional clearance in July 2026.
- A May 2026 contract covers an initial domestic batch of 20 Block 10 KAAN aircraft with first deliveries targeted for 2028 and a broader production plan of roughly 148 jets that includes export ambitions.
- KAAN was launched after Turkey’s 2019 removal from the F-35 program and will use U.S. engines for early production while TUSAŞ Engine Industries develops the indigenous TF35000 turbofan for later batches.