Turkey displayed its first indigenous fighter called TF-X, which is a great achievement for this country. The fighter was supposed to be used with the F-35 stealth fighters, but plans changed after the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.
The Russian TF-X fighter is equipped with two engines and is placed between the American F-22 and F-35 models in terms of dimensions, although its design is more similar to the F-22. The development of this fighter was difficult for Turkey, but it finally achieved this task.
Türkiye’s new fighter and drone
The TF-X fighter is not fully stealth like the South Korean KF-X fighter, however, the third production round of the indigenous Turkish fighter will use a full stealth configuration. Aside from stealth, its performance is expected to be no different from modern fighters, including things like speeds in the Mach 1.8 to 2.2 range and a range of nearly 1,100 km.
According to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), 85 percent of TF-X components are produced in Turkey. In the meantime, the fighter jet seat is produced by Martin Baker and we are also facing two GE F110-GE-129 turbofan engines. TAI purchased 10 F110 engines from the United States for its 4 twin-engine prototypes, which were likely increased for production of the final examples.
The TF-X fighter will enter service in 2031 after production starts in 2029. Turkey expects to produce 24 fighters annually to reach its target of 250 fighters within a decade.
In addition to the fighter, Turkey has unveiled the Anka-3 stealth drone; A tailless drone that can support 1.3 tons of munitions. The country has also introduced a supersonic training fighter plane named Hürjet.
If successful, the TF-X will likely become an export item, with Pakistan and Azerbaijan as potential buyers.
