UAE expresses interest in joining Turkiye’s KAAN fighter jet project

The second flight of the national combat aircraft KAAN, which was initiated by the Turkish Defence Industries Presidency (SSB) in order to meet the combat aircraft requirement of the Turkish Air Forces Command and developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), is carried out successfully in Ankara, Turkiye on May 06, 2024. [Photo by TUR Defence Industries Presidency/Anadolu via Getty Images]

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed significant interest in Turkiye’s national fighter jet project KAAN, signalling attempts by Abu Dhabi to deepen defence cooperation with Ankara.

According to Turkish media, Turkish defence firms attracted considerable attention at the IDEX 2025 defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi this week, with a key interested party reportedly being the Emiratis and their defence companies.

Mehmet Demiroglu, the CEO of state-backed Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), confirmed the UAE’s interest, particularly in regard to Turkiye’s KAAN fighter jet project. Stating that Ankara is already working and collaborating closely with international partners to advance the project, such as Saudi Arabia, Demiroglu revealed that others could be added to that list of partners, including the UAE.

“During high-level discussions, UAE officials expressed interest in KAAN and indicated their willingness to engage with the project,” he said.

With the second KAAN prototype set for completion by the end of the year, and the third in early 2026, the Turkish fighter jet project has been gaining international attention in recent years, securing partnership and joint production deals with numerous countries and their defence companies. The UAE may be the latest on that list.

Demiroglu also revealed a number of other projects that Abu Dhabi is interested in collaborating on, including Turkiye’s ATAK 1 helicopter, with the TAI chief saying the Emiratis “were impressed with its capabilities. A high-level delegation even visited Turkiye to experience it firsthand.”

Another example is the Hurkus training aircraft, which the UAE-based defence firm Calidus signing an agreement with the TAI to collaborate on its development.

Demiroglu additionally revealed the UAE’s strong interest in Turkiye’s ANKA-3 combat drone, with which he said “we are also exploring the development of a new air platform together. The UAE is very receptive to this idea, and we anticipate further positive developments soon.”

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