In February 2024, Turkey successfully completed the maiden test flight of its prototype Kaan fighter. The plane’s name is taken from an ancient Central Asian royal title, and Turkish media declared that its performance made “the legacy of our ancestors proud.” This then naturally raises the question: is the Kaan really a king of kings or just a pretender to the throne?
Turkey now claims membership of a small, technologically advanced club of countries that have flown a fifth-generation aircraft of their own design: the United States, Russia and China. It is the culmination of long-term investment in the country’sThe post Crowning Achievement? Kaan and the Turkish Defense Industry appeared first on War on the Rocks.