IDEF 2021: F-35 is out but what is next for Turkey? (Defence Insight analysis)
Turkish military aircraft ambitions remain undimmed despite ongoing US sanctions.
The future combat readiness of the Turkish Air Force (TAF) is structured around two distinct combat aircraft platforms. A high-end stealth fighter jet is expected to constitute 25% of the future combat aircraft inventory, with the remaining 75% estimated to be filled with 4.5th-generation fixed-wing fighters.
For the latter, Turkish Aerospace is working on the TF-X programme, known as Milli Muharip Uçak (MMU), that was unveiled in 2010. TF-X is going to replace the ageing F-16 inventory in TAF service. Turkey will purchase more than 250 TF-X aircraft between 2029-2040. A first flight is scheduled in Q3 2026, according
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