Ukrainian Ivchenko Progress in Bid to Develop Engine for Turkey's KAAN Jet

Ukraine’s Ivchenko Progress is participating in the tender to develop engine to power Turkey’s KAAN (TF-X) National Combat Aircraft.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Ankara Vasyl Bodnar said earlier this month that the country worked with Turkey on the KAAN project.

Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) wants to develop a national turbofan engine for the KAAN jet.

Defense sources told SavunmaSanayiST.com that the tender for the Preliminary Design Phase within the scope of KAAN project was submitted with TRMotor's main contractor with the cooperation model of TUSAS Engine Industries Inc. (TEI) and Ivchenko Progress.

Engines supplied from Ukraine are used in aircraft -AKINCI TİHA, KIZILELMA and ANKA-3 unmanned aircraft and T929 attack helicopters; and missiles - KEMANKES cruise missile and Super ŞİMŞEK.

Turkish Air Engine Company (TAEC), a joint venture between Turkey’s Kale Group and British Rolls-Royce, was established in 2017 to build an engine for the KAAN jet.

Kale Arge company, part of Kale Group, is known for developing Turkey's first turbojet missile engines. It has developed KTJ-3200 and KTJ-1750 turbojet engines. Roketsan’s ÇAKIR Cruise Missile recently successfully completed its first fire test with the KTJ-1750 Turbojet Engine.

President of Defense Industry Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir had stated that the development of a national turbofan engine for the KAAN fighter aircraft could take around 8 to 10 years. Currently, the U.S.-made F110 Turbofan Engine is used in the KAAN fighter aircraft. The first 20 of the KAAN warplanes, which are planned to make their first flight in 2023 or 2024, will have an F110 engine.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) aims to deliver the first KAAN to the Turkish Air Force in 2028.