Türkiye unveils autonomous wingman concept linking Kaan fighter with Anka III drones.

At World Defense Show 2026, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) presented an autonomous wingman flight concept combining the Kaan fighter with two Anka III unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

Turkish Aerospace Industries presented an autonomous wingman flight concept at World Defense Show 2026, integrating the Kaan fighter with two Anka III unmanned combat aerial vehicles. The configuration is based on manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) with the piloted aircraft supervising communication, targeting, and engagement functions. The concept outlines operational data links, coordinated strike sequencing, and planned artificial intelligence integration.
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The synchronized LED display demonstrated coordinated takeoff, formation maneuvering, and simulated strike execution, replacing traditional static models of the Kaan fighter and Anka III drone with an interactive digital environment. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) introduced a digital Autonomous Wingman Flight concept for the Kaan fighter jet, which was centered on manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) with two Anka III unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). The demonstration replaced static models with a synchronized scenario shown on large LED screens, depicting Kaan and two flanking Anka III aircraft emerging from a hangar, performing coordinated maneuvers, and executing attack missions. The stand incorporated four touchscreen stations enabling visitors to explore 360-degree digital models, layered product information, and mission videos tailored to different levels of depth.

TAI stated that artificial intelligence functions will later be integrated into this digital presentation environment, and that the same concept will be used at exhibitions in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom in 2026, with similar digital applications planned for Hürjet trainer jets and Gökbey helicopters. The Autonomous Wingman Flight concept is structured around a piloted Kaan operating in formation with two Anka III drones as a coordinated tactical wing, covering communication, target engagement, and guidance functions between crewed and uncrewed assets. TAI stated that communication, firing, and guidance links between the Kaan and the Anka III will be operational before the Kaan enters Turkish Air Force service, and that swarm management, direction, and coordinated firing logic are being prepared in parallel.

The display underlined a mission commander model in which the crewed fighter supervises and tasks unmanned aircraft in formation, with digital simulation used to illustrate cooperative strike and maneuver sequences. The presentation format allows packaging of information for high-level visitors and for more detailed technical exploration without changing the physical configuration of the exhibit, in a broader global trend toward collaborative combat aircraft and loyal wingman architectures. At the Riyadh exhibition, a Kaan model was displayed with a Saudi Arabian flag on its tail section amid ongoing high-level discussions between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia regarding possible cooperation on the program.

On February 5, 2026, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that joint investment with Saudi Arabia in Kaan could be realized at any time, linking the potential arrangement to broader bilateral engagement following visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. He cited bilateral trade volume of $8 billion in 2025 and more than 400 projects completed by Turkish contractors in Saudi Arabia with a cumulative value of $30 billion, and he referenced additional cooperation areas, including the defense industry. Saudi Arabia has assessed multiple next-generation fighter programs in Europe and Asia while remaining unable to acquire the F-35 despite requests dating back to 2012, and rumours indicate a possible requirement of up to 100 Kaan fighter jets with technology transfer and local industrial participation. 

TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu stated that negotiations with Saudi Arabia on Kaan and Gökbey have reached the highest level and could result in a concrete step in 2026, depending on the selected cooperation model. He outlined potential paths, including direct purchase, joint production, final assembly in Saudi Arabia, or hybrid arrangements combining procurement and industrial participation, with quantities under discussion ranging from 20 to 100 aircraft. He indicated that establishing a final assembly line would not be feasible with 20 aircraft and that industrial viability typically requires 100 units, while TAI considers that threshold reducible to 50 Kaan if supported by parallel Gökbey orders.

He specified that setting up a production line in the Kingdom would require at least 50 Kaan and 50 Gökbey helicopters to justify the investment, and he emphasized that final figures depend on Saudi infrastructure plans and the desired level of participation. The process is coordinated at the governmental level, with engagement involving Türkiye’s Presidency of Defense Industries and Saudi counterparts. For now, the Kaan development roadmap includes three dedicated flight prototypes currently forming the core of the airborne test campaign, with the first true flight prototype scheduled to fly by May or June 2026 following system verification, resonance testing, fuel system validation, and electrical testing. The earlier engineering prototype that conducted two flights in 2024 is now reserved for ground and system-level testing to free the new prototypes for flight expansion.

The Kaan maiden flight on February 21, 2024, lasted 13 minutes, reached 8,000 feet and 230 knots, and was followed by a second flight on May 6, 2024, reaching 10,000 feet with similar speed, validating basic aerodynamic and flight control parameters. Serial production deliveries are targeted for 2029 to align flight testing, system maturity, and production readiness, with an anticipated initial Turkish Air Force order of 20 aircraft linked to gradual F-16 replacement in the 2030s. Indonesia has signed a framework agreement valued at $15 billion for 48 aircraft, structured in phases, and has indicated a preference for an ITAR-free configuration powered by the indigenous engine, with further phases planned for finalization in 2026.

Propulsion strategy for early-produced Kaan in Block 10 and Block 20 configurations relies on the American General Electric F110 engine delivering between 29,000 and 30,000 pounds of thrust, with 20 to 40 Kaan aircraft expected to use this configuration. In parallel, the Turkish TF35000 turbofan developed by TRMotor and TUSAS Engine Industries targets approximately 35,000 pounds of thrust, with initial prototyping planned by the end of 2026, early testing scheduled for 2026, and integration on Kaan targeted for 2032. The Kaan measures 20.3 m in length, 13.4 m in wingspan, and 5.0 m in height, with a maximum takeoff weight of 34,750 kg, a maximum speed of Mach 1.8, a service ceiling of 16,764 m, and maneuver limits of +9.0 g and −3.5 g.

The aircraft incorporates an AESA radar within an Integrated RF System supporting electronic warfare, an Integrated Electro-Optical System combining infrared search and track, electro-optical targeting, distributed aperture coverage, and missile warning, along with integrated communication, navigation, Mode-5 identification, centralized mission computing, helmet-mounted display, large area cockpit display, and a self-protection suite covering radar, laser, and infrared threats. Armament configuration includes eight internal and six external hardpoints and a 30x113 mm gun, with air-to-air weapons such as Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan missiles and a planned ramjet-powered beyond-visual-range missile. Air-to-surface options include SOM-series cruise missiles, Kuzgun variants, the Akbaba anti-radiation missile, and the Roketsan Çakir missile family, as well as guided bombs including SARB-83 and NEB-84 bunker-buster types and other guided kits such as HGK, KGK, Teber, and MAM-class munitions.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.