Turkish Aerospace reveals name of national combat aircraft as KAAN

The type was supposed to be paired with the 100 Lockheed F-35 fifth-generation strike fighters that Ankara planned to procure. However, that plan changed when the USA removed Turkey from the multinational F-35 development programme in 2019, after Ankara purchased a Russian-made S-400 air defence system. Strategically located NATO member Turkey now plans to make the National Combat Aircraft the backbone of its future air force fleet.