Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to acquire Turkey’s domestically produced Kaan fighter jets as part of its military’s strategic plans for the 2030s to develop a self-sufficient defense industry, the pro-government Milliyet daily reported.
Turkish officials led by Defense Industry Agency (SSB) Secretary Haluk Görgün last week hosted Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Khaled bin Hussein Al-Biyari and Air Force Commander Turki bin Bandar Al Saud in İstanbul. The three-day talks on defense industry cooperation began on December 24 in İstanbul.
Saudi Arabian Chief of Staff Gen. Feyyaz bin Hamid er-Ruveyli also had talks with Turkish defense officials in Ankara on December 26.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Metin Gürak discussed defense projects including fighter jets, warships, radar systems and missiles with er-Ruveyli, defense officials said.
The procurement discussions concerning the 100 Kaan fighter jets were reportedly one of the key subjects of the meetings.
Turkey’s Kaan fighter jet project, initiated in 2016, aims to produce a next-generation aircraft by the late 2020s.
The $1.18 billion project includes collaboration with BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce for engine development, according to the SSB.
Saudi Arabia seeks to upgrade its combat air fleet amid regional tensions. The kingdom has traditionally relied on US-made F-15 fighters for its defense needs and has been unable to acquire the US-made F-35 fifth generation fighter jet, despite repeated requests since 2012.
In the wake of such restrictions, Saudi Arabia is now exploring options with other international partners. The choice is between the French Rafale, Turkey’s Kaan fighter jet and China’s J-31 stealth fighter, similar to the F-35.
Riyadh wants an agreement that would include clauses for technology transfer and local production.
Turkey’s Kaan fighter project will test a second prototype in 2025, according to Görgün.
The fighter jets will initially use General Electric F110 engines before switching to locally produced ones, officials said. US export licenses would be required for the sale of F110-powered aircraft.
The basic problem of the entire Turkish defense industry is that it is dependent on foreign engines. Most of its aviation projects, such as the Kaan, depend on General Electric’s F110 engines, which are susceptible to possible US sanctions that will disrupt production and exports.
The same happened when the US vetoed Ankara’s sale of T-129 attack helicopters to Pakistan because export licenses for the US-made engines were denied. Despite this, Turkey did manage to deliver six T-129s to the Philippines, with an option for six more, perhaps helped by improved US-Philippine relations.
Although the Saudis are interested in buying the Turkish Kaan fighter jet, it is too early to assume such a sale will eventually take place.
As the Kaan program develops and more information becomes available, clarity on the probability and scale of any potential deal is expected to emerge.
In the summer of 2023, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a deal for the purchase of drones manufactured by Turkey’s leading drone maker Baykar.
Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar, which is co-run by one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s sons-in-laws, at the time called the deal “the biggest defense and aviation export contract in the history of the Turkish Republic.”
The value of the deal was not made public.