Turkey faces a choice: with whom to build the fighter of the future

Turkey is developing the fifth-generation fighter Kaan and is considering joining the sixth-generation Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) with Italy, Japan, and the UK. According to Turkey Today, this is the most logical option. Participation would give Turkey advantages in airframe development, stealth coatings, and electronic warfare, and would accelerate the creation of the TF-35000 engine. A decision must be made by the end of 2026, with a final deadline of July 2027. The alternative is a domestic project with Azerbaijan, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, but that is more difficult.

Turkey faces a strategic choice: to participate in an international sixth-generation fighter program or to develop its own project. Ankara is actively working on the fifth-generation fighter Kaan and plans to begin serial production by the end of the decade. According to Turkey Today, the most logical option is to join the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a joint project of Italy, Japan, and the UK, implemented by the Edgewing consortium. The program envisions a manned combat aircraft with stealth technologies, a variable-cycle engine, sensor fusion, artificial intelligence, and interaction with drone swarms. Canada has already joined as an observer. Turkey's participation could be a significant contribution: experience with Kaan provides advantages in airframe development, systems integration, stealth coatings, and electronic warfare. Turkey can also offer solutions for the joint use of manned and unmanned aviation, including Exungor from Turkish Aerospace Industries and Kizilalma from Baykar. In turn, partner support could accelerate the development of Turkey's own turbofan engine, the TF-35000, for Kaan. Geopolitically, participation would allow Ankara to maintain strategic autonomy while strengthening ties with NATO and developing cooperation with Japan. Former Turkish ambassador to NATO Fatih Ceylan noted that a partnership format involving non-EU countries could protect Turkey's defense programs from sanctions. The decision timeline is tight: Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani stated that potential participants should decide by the end of 2026, with a final deadline of July 2027. Joining will require significant financial investment in the early stages. If Turkey declines, it may launch its own project with Azerbaijan, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, but implementing such a large-scale initiative would face serious difficulties, so Turkey will likely first try the international cooperation option.