Türkiye ordered the archetypal 20 fighters KAANbut betwixt the transportation of the craft and existent combat readiness prevarication years of testing. Greece waiting F-35 successful a much precocious configuration.
Türkiye signed a declaration for the acquisition of the archetypal 20 KAAN Block 10 fighterswhich should participate the Turkish Air Force successful the play from 2028 to 2030. For Ankara This is an important step: the 5th procreation nationalist fighter, formerly known arsenic TF-Xmoves from prototypes and presentations to the archetypal accumulation order.
However, betwixt the operation “will spell into service” and existent combat readiness there is simply a large difference. The archetypal craft are usually used for subject service, training pilots and technicians, testing systems, engines, weapons and software. The combatant whitethorn beryllium delivered to the Air Force successful 2028, but this does not mean that it will instantly go a full-fledged combat tool.
It is important to comparison not advertizing promises, but the maturity of platforms. F-35 has already been produced successful ample quantities, is operated by galore countries and has gone done a agelong way of testing, modernization and applicable operation. KAAN – a caller Turkish programme that has yet to beryllium the reliability of the engine, avionics, stealth, weapons, λογισμικό and wide production.
KAAN appeared aft the struggle betwixt Turkey and the United States
KAAN became for Turkey not lone an aviation, but besides a governmental project. Ankara was excluded from the programme F-35 aft purchasing Russian complexes S-400. The United States said that the Russian aerial defence system is incompatible with Turkey’s information successful the F-35 project, arsenic it could airs a menace to the concealed characteristics of the aircraft.
After this, the Turkish enactment accelerated its absorption connected its ain fifth-generation fighter. For Ankara KAAN should beryllium impervious of technological independency and a way to trim dependence connected the United States. International involvement is already forming astir the project: among partners and imaginable participants, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia and different countries.
But the archetypal declaration for 20 craft does not yet mean that the programme has reached afloat maturity. Türkiye is receiving a starting accumulation batch, which will astir apt beryllium used for fine-tuning, training and gradually expanding capabilities.
??????:
Turkey signed a woody to bargain 20 KAAN Stealth Aircraft, that’ll beryllium delivered till 2028.
Pakistan and Azerbaijan are besides portion of the project. pic.twitter.com/RpXMLMf2BI
— Tactical Tribune (@TacticalTribun) May 10, 2026
The motor was shown, but it still needs to beryllium finished
A abstracted contented is the engine. Türkiye is actively demonstrating work connected a nationalist powerfulness works for KAANincluding projects TF35000 And Güçhan. But the presumption of the motor and its existent cognition successful a accumulation combatant are two antithetic things.
The motor indispensable undergo endurance tests, formation tests, reliability testing, integration with the airframe, and cognition successful antithetic modes and conditions. It indispensable not lone beryllium powerful, but besides stable, maintainable and suitable for wide production. This is where galore aviation programs acquisition delays.
First games KAANaccording to unfastened data, will beryllium connected imported engines of the household F110and a afloat transition to a Turkish powerfulness works is expected later. Therefore, successful 2028–2030, Türkiye will astir apt person not a afloat mature car, but the archetypal accumulation unit with restrictions and a ample magnitude of subsequent improvements.
Su-57 lesson: “accepted” does not mean “massively ready”
Case successful point: Russian Su-57. Formally, the archetypal accumulation craft was transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces backmost successful 2020, but this did not mean the emergence of a full-fledged fifth-generation wide system. The archetypal vehicles were undergoing testing, training, finalization of tactics and gradual development.
Really noticeable deliveries Su-57 They began to unfold later, and the level itself remained small successful fig for a agelong time. This is simply a bully illustration of however a caller combatant tin take years to “enter service” but not yet go a mainstream and afloat mature Air Force tool.
The aforesaid logic applies to KAAN. Even if the archetypal Turkish craft are delivered successful 2028–2030, this does not mean an contiguous alteration successful the equilibrium successful Aegean Sea. The question will beryllium the fig of combat-ready vehicles, aviator training, reliability of the engine, radar, communications, weapons and software.
Greece is waiting for the F-35 TR-3 / Block 4
On the Greek broadside the main reply remains F-35A. Greece signed an statement to acquisition the archetypal batch of 20 F-35 fighters with the anticipation of purchasing 20 much cars. The archetypal deliveries are expected from 2028but the archetypal 4 craft will stay successful the USA until 2030 for the training of Greek pilots and technical personnel. Full accomplishment of the archetypal batch is expected by 2033.
It is important that Greece expects to person not an aboriginal configuration, but a much precocious version F-35 with updates TR-3/Block 4. This should supply much precocious computing capabilities, an expanded ground for caller functions, improved weapon integration and further modernization of combat capabilities.
That is why the terms of the Greek bid looks high. Greece pays not lone for aircraft, but for the afloat package: the craft themselves, engines, spare parts, aviator and technician training, simulators, technical support, logistics and operational support. According to Greek media, the archetypal batch of 20 F-35s is estimated astatine astir €3.47 billion. This is not the “naked” terms of 1 aircraft, but the outgo of a package, without which such craft simply bash not work arsenic a full-fledged system.
In terms of unit, such a acquisition turns retired to beryllium importantly much costly than the conditional mill outgo of the aircraft. But this magnitude includes training, support, spare parts and infrastructure elements. That is Greece buys not lone an aircraft, but an entranceway to a ready-made operational system F-35.
Difference betwixt F-35 and KAAN
The main quality is that F-35 is already a mature planetary platform. It has problems, including delays successful upgrades, λογισμικό blocks and attraction costs. But these are problems with a wide system that is already flying among US allies astir the world.
KAAN is still astatine a antithetic stage. This is an ambitious nationalist programme that could go a superior origin aft 2030, but it still has a hard way to go: engine, production, training, weapons, software, attraction and existent integration into combat units.
For Greece this means there is nary request to panic astir 2028. But underestimate Turkey It’s besides not possible. Ankara is consistently gathering its ain defence industry, purchasing transitional solutions similar Eurofighter Typhoonmodernizes aviation and develops unmanned systems. Türkiye is not conscionable waiting for 1 plane, it is gathering a subject ecosystem.
Greecein turn, bets connected Rafalemodernized F-16 Viperfuture F-35 and allied integration. But for Athens, the main contented is not lone the acquisition of aircraft. We request trained pilots, a technical base, missiles, aerial defense, reconnaissance, communications and a unified conflict power system.
The astir realistic decision is: KAAN whitethorn statesman to participate work with the Turkish Air Force successful 2028-2030, but its mature operational versions will astir apt go a superior origin aft 2030. F-35 for Greece, too, will not alteration the equilibrium instantly, but this is an already proven platform, and not a caller nationalist program, which has yet to beryllium its reliability.
So the question for Athens is not whether a Turkish KAAN. Most apt it will appear. The question is whether helium will person clip Greece by the aboriginal 2030s, make a full-fledged aerial superiority system, and not conscionable get costly aircraft. Because successful aviation, the winner is not the 1 who was the archetypal to amusement a prototype, but the 1 who was the archetypal to turn the plane, pilots, weapons, bases and conflict power into a working mechanism.
Greek (GR) · 
English (US) ·