Page 11 - ADT AUG - OCT 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP
P. 11
INTERVIEW
“OUR PLAN
IS TO BEGIN
DELIVERIES
OF THE KAAN
FIGHTER JET
IN 2028”
Turkish Aerospace is developing a different types; ATAK 2, Hurjet, we said to them, we are not wait-
wide-range of military aircraft and ANKA III and the advanced fighter ing where you left us, we have
unmanned systems and in 2024 Kaan. This was a really amaz- moved on. For the international
undertook the flight test of four ing achievement. Right now, we market, we are first offering our
new prototype aircraft, in a com- are working on the subsystems indigenously developed sub-
pany first. Dr Mehmet Demiroğlu, for these platforms and we will systems, whether it is avionics,
who recently took over as General complete the development of cameras, etc whatever it is we
Manager at Turkish Aerospace, whatever we require. Some things have it.
provided an update on some of the will take time, but we will surely
airframer’s programme in an exclu- complete them. I tell my friends Q Please provide an update
sive interview with Atul Chandra, in Europe and the USA, that they on the Kaan advanced fighter
on the sidelines of the ADAS will not be able to stop us from programme?
defence exhibition in Manilla. advancing with our programmes.
They will only be able to slow it I can tell you the Kaan pro-
Edited excerpts of the interview: but not stop it. We have come gramme is progressing very well.
this far and we will not stop. If As you know, we were originally
Q What are the latest activities at they don’t sell the equipment we planning to have the first flight of
Turkish Aerospace? need, we will build it ourselves. the Kaan in 2025 but my prede-
I can give you the example of cessor, Temel Kotil, set the target
Last year, 2023, was an amaz- Wescam, which did not supply of making the maiden flight by
ing year for all of us at Turkish the end of 2023. He was confi-
Aerospace. We had one of the us with the cameras we needed dent that we would achieve this
when Canada put an embargo on
biggest years in aviation his- goal and all of us supported him
tory in Türkiye. What I mean by them. We could not buy them, but in this. Ultimately, we are able to
Aselsan took over and now they
this is that we flew four different keep the promise just two months
platforms in one year. These are producing some excellent later. So we are working very hard
camera equipment. Now Wescam
were prototype aircraft of four
is trying to sell us equipment and at Turkish Aerospace to deliver
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY AUGUST - OCTOBER 2024 | 11
