Indonesia Purchases 48 KAAN Fighters
SIGNED at Indo Defence Expo & Forum, Indonesia signed a landmark deal for the under-development fifth-generation fighter–KAAN from Turkiye. Indonesia is set to be the aircraft’s first ever export customer by committing to procure a total of 48 KAAN stealth multirole fighter jets being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS).
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the deal in a social media post while the deal was inked in Jakarta between the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and the Turkish Defense Industry Agency (SSB) in the presence of Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, the President of SSB, Haluk Gorgun, Indonesian defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and TUSAS chairman Omer Cihad Vardan. “I hope this agreement, which highlights the progress and achievements of our domestic and national defence industry, will be beneficial for both Turkiye and Indonesia,” President Erdogan added.
President Erdogan said that the 48 KAAN fighter jets would be manufactured in Turkiye and then delivered to Indonesia within a timeframe of 120 months, adding that Indonesia’s local capabilities would also be integrated into the production process. The agreement also encompasses the transfer of technology to Indonesia in the aerospace industry, aiming to promote knowledge sharing and development of Indonesian capabilities via strategic Turkiye-Indonesian cooperation.
The KAAN is Turkiye’s first indigenous combat aircraft and took its maiden flight in February 2024. TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) is currently developing their own indigenous TF35000 turbofan engine specifically for the Kaan, officially unveiled last month and is the country’s most significant breakthrough in aviation propulsion technology. Capable of producing 35,000 pounds of thrust, it matches the output of the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine used in the American F-22 Raptor and exceeds the capabilities of several Western counterparts, including the Eurofighter Typhoon’s EJ200 (26,000 lbf) and the Rafale’s M88 (17,000-20,000 lbf) while the F-35’s F135 (43,000 lbf) still tops the list.
Indonesia’s future KAANs are expected to be powered by the TF35000 in line with the Turkish objective of making the KAAN entirely indigenous. Turkiye has been exploring global interests in the KAAN, including prospective partnerships with Malaysia and Pakistan among others.-shp/adj/dl (Pix:KSN,TUSAS,TEI)