Turkish Aerospace’s KAAN P1 prototype completed its first low-speed taxi test at the company’s Ankara facility on 31 July, moving under its own power for the first time as the fifth-generation fighter programme advances toward flight testing. The ground run involved the new prototype identified as P1, which Turkish Aerospace presented as part of the aircraft’s expanding test campaign ahead of its maiden flight.
The taxi test is a standard step between ground integration and airborne trials, confirming the aircraft can manoeuvre on the runway and prepare for higher-speed testing. KAAN first flew in February 2024, and the programme has since progressed through successive development phases with additional prototypes planned. Turkish aerospace sources indicate P1 is one of the airframes intended to shoulder much of the flight-test work.
The milestone is significant for Türkiye’s indigenous fighter effort, which continues to rely on General Electric F110 engines for the near term while the domestic TF35000 engine remains under development. Turkish Aerospace has also indicated that two more prototypes are expected to join the test effort later in 2026.