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Ukraine’s Ivchenko Progress has participated in a tender to develop an engine to power Turkey’s national stealth fighter jet, the KAAN (TF-X).
Ukrainian Ambassador to Ankara Vasyl Bodnar said earlier this month that his country had worked with Turkey on the KAAN project.
The Turkish Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) wants to develop a national turboprop for the KAAN jet.
Defense sources told SavunmaSanayiST.com that the tender for the preliminary design phase within the scope of the KAAN project has been submitted with prime contractor TRMotor and will see collaboration between TUSAS Engine Manufacturers (TEI) and Ivchenko Progress.
Engines supplied from Ukraine are used in Turkish AKINCI TİHA, KIZILELMA and ANKA-3 drones and T929 attack helicopters; and KEMANKES and Super ŞİMŞEK cruise missiles.
Turkish Aerospace Engine Corporation (TAEC), a joint venture between Turkey’s Kale Group and Britain’s Rolls-Royce, was established in 2017 to build an engine for the KAAN jet.
Kale Arge, part of the Kale Group, is known for developing Turkey’s first turboprop rocket engines. It developed the KTJ-3200 and KTJ-1750 jet engines. Roketsan’s Chakir cruise missile recently completed its first test launch with a KTJ-1750 turbojet engine.
The head of the defense industry, Prof. Dr. Ismail Demir, stated that the development of a national turboprop engine for the KAAN fighter jet may take about 8 to 10 years. Currently, the American-made F110 turboprop is used in the KAAN fighter jet. The first 20 KAAN warplanes, which are scheduled to make their first flight in 2023 or 2024, will be equipped with the F110 engine.
Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) aims to deliver the first KAAN to the Turkish Air Force in 2028.
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