There is increasing news about the possible purchase of this aircraft by Spain
News has been published about Spain’s possible purchase of the Turkish Kaan fighter jet, manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
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For now, this news has been generated by reports in Turkish media indicating the Spanish government’s interest in this Turkish fighter jet. Recall that last year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared himself Turkey’s best ally in Europe. This good understanding between both governments was reflected in Spain’s recent purchase of the TAI Hürjet aircraft, despite being an aircraft under development and having models on the market already in service and with very satisfied customers, such as the Italian Leonardo M-346.
Unfortunately, everything indicates that history could repeat itself with the TAI Kaan, a supposedly fifth-generation aircraft (its true stealth capabilities remain to be seen) that made its first flight on February 21, 2024, and whose entry into service is scheduled for the next decade, without specifying. The Spanish government’s interest in this fighter has its origins in a regrettable policy of treating the F-35 as a taboo, despite the fact that the Spanish Navy currently has no other STOVL (short takeoff and vertical landing) aircraft on the market to replace its Harrier IIs other than the F-35B.
In early August, the pro-government newspaper El País leaked the alleged decision to rule out Spain’s purchase of the F-35, without the government commenting on the matter at any time through its official channels. A few weeks later, the Spanish Minister of Defense did not rule out the purchase of the F-35, stating that “there has certainly been no publicity from the Government regarding the exclusion of any program“, a misleading statement if we take into account that the government usually uses the newspaper El País to leak its decisions and projects.
As I pointed out in August, the Spanish Navy has been showing interest in the F-35B for years, an interest that is not only due to the characteristics of the fighter, but also to the fact that it is the only available replacement for the Harrier II. Pedro Sánchez’s government has been ignoring this issue for strictly political reasons. We are talking about a coalition government of socialists and communists and the F-35B is a US-made fighter, which is the bête noire of the Spanish far left. Despite all the criticism that the American aircraft may generate, the F-35B is a model that has already been developed and is in active service in various allied countries, meaning that Spain would have a weapons system that has already been tested and supported by a highly prestigious and capable company such as Lockheed Martin.
The information about the TAI Kaan appears to be aimed at preparing the Spanish public to purchase the Turkish fighter, even though it’s not even in service. The Kaan also has a serious problem with its powertrain. TAI chose the American General Electric F110 turbofan to equip that aircraft, but a few months ago it announced the intention to manufacture a Turkish engine, the TF35000, for the Kaan, given the possibility that the US might veto the sale of F110 engines for the Turkish fighter jet, especially with a view to its export to other countries (so far Egypt and Indonesia have shown interest in that aircraft, which also has other Muslim countries among its potential buyers).
For now, the first tests of the TF35000 are expected in 2026 and its integration into the Kaan is planned for 2032, thus delaying the entry into service schedule of this fighter contemplated for F110 engines. Beyond these problems and those that may arise from opting for a fighter jet still under development, a decision by the Spanish government to purchase this Turkish fighter jet would have serious political repercussions, placing itself on the side of a regime increasingly criticized for its autotarian drift and which has openly supported Hamas terrorists. Sánchez’s cabinet does not seem to be concerned about all this and, in the end, one might wonder if the idea will be to buy anything other than the F-35, simply because it is an American aircraft and there is an ideological veto from the government on that country.
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Images: Türk Havacılık ve Uzay Sanayii.