Spain is showing interest in acquiring Turkey’s next-generation KAAN fighter jets as part of a strategic shift in its defense policy. This development comes after Madrid decided to abandon plans to purchase US-made F-35 aircraft in August, favoring European alternatives instead.
Reports indicate that Spain’s growing military cooperation with Turkey is influencing this potential acquisition. Notably, Turkish defense companies showcased their capabilities at the recent Madrid defense fair in May, highlighting the strengthening ties between the two nations. Additionally, Spain secured the Hürjet training aircraft from Turkey in July, further cementing this collaboration.
As Spain looks forward to the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), designed to promote self-sufficiency in military technology and set to be operational by the 2040s, the KAAN fighter jet may serve as a stopgap solution. The Spanish Ministry of Defense has yet to release any official statements confirming or denying these developments.
The decision to bypass the F-35 has been linked to several contentious issues, such as disagreements over increasing defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, concerns regarding the aircraft’s “kill switch,” and escalating costs. These factors have also affected F-35 sales in other nations, including Switzerland, Portugal, and Canada, earlier this year.
The KAAN fighter jet, developed in Turkey, aims to replace the aging fleet of F-16s in the Turkish Air Force. Its development commenced in 2016, gathering momentum after Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 due to its acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system.
The Turkish Aerospace Industries has made bold claims about the KAAN, suggesting it outperforms the F-35, with a payload capacity of 10 tons, in contrast to the F-35’s six tons, along with a twin-engine design. The KAAN is projected to enter service by the 2030s, following its maiden flight in February 2024. Other countries, such as Indonesia, are also planning to operate the KAAN, while Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in acquiring a significant number of units.
