Pakistan is reportedly trying to join Turkiye’s fighter jet program in an attempt to find a suitable replacement for its aging fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft.
Dr. Celal Sami TÜFEKC?, Turkiye’s deputy minister of national defence, expressed optimism on the future flights and disclosed that talks with Pakistani colleagues to include Pakistan in the National Fighter Jet Programme, KAAN, are soon to begin.
The move might improve military relations between the two countries and provide Pakistan with a suitable replacement for the F-16 fighter aircraft it had received from the US in the 1980s.
The replacement of its F-16 fighter aircraft is one of the main goals behind Pakistan’s decision to join Turkiye’s KAAN program.
Turkiye hopes to improve the capabilities of its air force and achieve a tactical advantage in aerial combat with the indigenous 5th-generation fighter jet.
The initiative highlights Turkey’s dedication to improving domestic technologies and minimising dependence on foreign sources. It is a significant accomplishment for the Turkish defence sector.
However, the KAAN program’s importance extends outside of Turkey. Pakistan has also expressed a strong interest in the cutting-edge fighter jet. By the end of this decade, Pakistan aims to retire almost 40 Block MLU-15/20 F-16s from its fleet, making the fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet an excellent successor.
Defence professionals are getting more and more excited as December approaches to see the KAAN fighter jet’s first flights. This critical moment, when Turkey joins the select group of countries with the capacity to design and produce cutting-edge 5th-generation fighter aircraft, is keenly anticipated by the aerospace industry. The powerful presence of is expected to propel Turkish air power to new heights in the future.
