Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is preparing to launch the second prototype of its fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet before the end of the year, while the aircraft is undergoing high-speed taxi tests, the company’s general manager said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the TEKNOFEST Southeast aerospace and technology event, TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu said all system checks on P1, the first Kaan prototype, had been completed and that the aircraft is expected to fly within weeks. He added that assembly and testing of the P2 prototype are continuing, The Caspian Post reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

“We’ll launch the P1 and the P2 immediately after, if there are no setbacks or delays, since we’ve already done the slow taxi tests for the P2,” he said.

Demiroglu said TAI had achieved significant export milestones, including a deal signed last month with Azerbaijan to supply 14 Hürkuş-II turboprop trainer aircraft.

“We will sign new export agreements for both the training and the light-armed attack configurations of the Hürkuş in the coming months and years,” he said. “The production batch for the Azerbaijani delivery will be produced here, while we will deliver products that we’re making for the Turkish Air Force to ensure speedy delivery.”

“We’ve applied what we learned from the first aircraft to the new platforms and prototypes, and they’re nearly complete, as we’ve completed over 600 hours of flight time with two prototypes, while the third made its first flight last month and the fourth is on the way,” he said.

Demiroglu noted that the first mass-produced Hürjet units will be delivered to the Turkish Air Force by late 2027, after which production will be allocated to meet export deliveries to Spain by late 2028.

He also said the company is overhauling its manufacturing architecture into a tiered subcontracting model under which up to 70% of part and subassembly production will be outsourced. Structural workloads, including wings, tails and fuselages, will be distributed among seven to eight domestic partners to meet delivery deadlines while limiting production costs.

Work is also continuing on the Air SOJ airborne electronic warfare project, with flight qualification trials currently underway for two specialized platforms.

TAI aims to deliver its first two operational Air SOJ platforms next year in coordination with Aselsan and the Defense Industries Agency (SSB).