Turkish Aerospace Industries has begun taxi trials with P1, the second prototype of Turkey’s KAAN fighter, at its Ankara facility. The ground roll on 31 July is the latest step in the fifth-generation aircraft’s flight-test programme and the first move toward P1’s initial flight.
The aircraft is moving under its own power as part of pre-flight checks intended to verify braking, steering, engine response, flight-control systems and general handling on the ground. P1 and the follow-on P2 are described as production-representative prototypes designed to reflect lessons learned from the earlier P0 airframe, which first flew in February 2024.
The programme is now shifting from single-prototype testing to a broader multi-aircraft phase. Turkish defence commentators and company officials cited in coverage expect P1 to fly within months and want both P1 and P2 airborne before the end of 2026, a schedule that will help determine the pace of later development and production planning.