Türkiye’s KAAN P1 Fighter Jet Prototype Successfully Completes Taxi Tests

Turkish Aerospace has released footage confirming its KAAN P1 fifth-generation fighter prototype successfully executed powered taxi tests, formally moving the aircraft into dynamic ground evaluation ahead of its maiden flight.

The low-speed runway runs took place near Ankara around July 24. They mark a critical transition from static hangar integration to active dynamic testing of the platform’s ground-control systems.

TAI Chief Executive Officer Mehmet Demiroglu had previously stated the P1 prototype could fly “in a couple of months.”

Expanding the Test Fleet

Engineers are preparing to rapidly scale up the evaluation campaign. Planners aim to have both the P1 and the subsequent P2 prototype airborne before the close of 2026.

This aggressive schedule will enable developers to run simultaneous assessments across multiple aircraft.

Splitting the workload allows for faster validation of avionics, mission systems, and structural limits compared to relying on a single testbed.

The P1 airframe represents a significant maturation over the initial P0 demonstrator.

It features advanced design refinements and integrated mission-system elements that more closely mirror the final production configuration.

Propulsion and Previous Benchmarks

Ground crews used the low-speed trials to evaluate engine responses, nose-wheel steering, and braking effectiveness under live power.

Future high-speed tests will push the aircraft near takeoff velocity to assess aerodynamic behavior before committing to flight.

Early developmental models, alongside approximately the first 40 production aircraft, will utilize General Electric F110 engines.

Türkiye eventually plans to replace these American powerplants with the domestically produced TF35000 engine in subsequent manufacturing blocks.

Performance data from the new prototype builds on a technical foundation established by the earlier P0 airframe.

That initial aircraft completed its 13-minute maiden flight on February 21, 2024, followed by a second test sortie the following May.

Sustained progress in the testing phase actively reduces programmatic uncertainty for military planners.

The Turkish Air Force currently expects to receive its initial batch of the fifth-generation fighters in 2028.