Türkiye's first 5th generation fighter jet makes headlines globally

The 13-minute maiden test flight of Türkiye's first homegrown fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN has made a splash among the worldwide media outlets.

The US-based Business Insider website on Wednesday said the successful completion of the maiden flight was "a major step forward for Türkiye's efforts to acquire a fifth-generation fighter".

Business Insider stressed that KAAN was the result of o ver a decade of effort from the Turkish Air Force and the country aims KAAN to "eventually replace" the country's F-16 fleet.

It underlined that Wednesday's flight was a "a promising step forward" for Türkiye, especially after the tension with the US over the F-35 fighter jet project.

And, Bloomberg highlighted that Türkiye's 5th generation fighter jet's first-ever flight was a "milestone".

UK media coverage

Reuters announced the move by saying "Türkiye's KAAN, its first national combat aircraft, completed its first flight on Wednesday, part of the country's efforts to upgrade its air force."

Citing Haluk Gorgun, the head of Türkiye's Defence Industries Presidency, Reuters noted that Türkiye aims to use domestically produced engines on KAAN in serial production.

London based newspaper Al Arab reported the development with the headline Türkiye broke new ground in the production of 5th generation combat aircraft.

Saudi Arabia's Asharq Bloomberg television website also presented KAAN's first flight to its readers with the title "The greatest king. What do we know about Türkiye's 5th generation stealth plane?"

Qatar's Al Jazeera television also announced KAAN's first flight to its audience with the statements of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Canadian media

BNN Bloomberg TV broadcasting in Canada stated that KAAN was the symbol of the self-confidence and innovation of the Turkish defence industry.

A new dawn was born in the history of Turkish defence and aviation, it said, adding the move represents a significant leap in Türkiye's quest for self-reliance in military technology and a bold step towards the future of war.

Japan based media institutions cover KAAN

The Japanese media praised the first flight of KAAN, as Turkish defence officials hope to export the fifth-generation fighter jet to Asua and Gulf countries, according to the country’s biggest business newspaper named Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei).

The paper also reported that TAI aims to develop KAAN to include low visibility capability by 2030, with the company also planning to manufacture 20 units of it.

Türkiye has become the fifth country in the world to fly stealth fighter jets, following the US, Russia, China, and South Korea, as stated by Yahoo Japan.

The Norimono News website reported on the first flight by KAAN to be completed.

The website defined the name of the aircraft, saying that KAAN is “a masculine name of Turkish origin meaning ruler or king of kings”.

The Turkish firm developed the KAAN fighter jet, which is difficult to spot on radars as it has stealth capabilities, according to the news from Abema Times.

The story quoted President Erdogan saying, “Today, was another proud day for Türkiye’s defence industry.”

The KAAN fighter jet is one of the world’s best among the fifth-generation fighter jets, along with the “F35” and the “Sukhoi 57,” it added, emphasising that Türkiye is expected to improve its already developed defence capabilities in the future.

Chinese media

The People’s Daily and the Xinhua News Agency covered the story, also quoting President Erdogan saying, “Türkiye has crossed another critical threshold in the production of fifth-generation fighter jets.”

The story mentioned that the aircraft was designed in line with the requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces, and laid out the technical specifications of KAAN saying that it could replace the F-16 aircraft in the inventory.

India based media institutions cover KAAN

The NDTV mentioned the indigenous aircraft with a story titled “Türkiye’s KAAN, its first national combat aircraft, completed its first flight on Wednesday, part of the country's efforts to upgrade its air force.”

“The flight marks a landmark moment for Türkiye, where authorities have made modernising the country's aging air force a top priority,” said the Times of India.

“The project places Türkiye in a small group of powers working on fifth-generation aircraft, which means KAAN wil eventually have stealth capablities,advanced avionics and will be able to undertake command roles in battle,” it added.

Pakistan based media institutions cover KAAN

Samaa TV ran a story titled “Türkiye’s first indigenous fighter jet KAAN takes maiden flight,” mentioning the successful flight and the many features of the fifth-generation fighter jet in detail.

Russia based media institutions cover KAAN

TASS news agency showcased 'KAAN' with its first successful flight, as well as the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, which mentioned that the aircraft was started to be produced in 2017.

Ria Novosti news agency also announced the first flight of 'KAAN.'

News outlets in Azerbaijan, Libya, Georgia also gave wide coverage on KAAN.