Spain contacted Turkey regarding the fighter jet

The background for the warming of security relations between the countries includes the cancellation of the Spanish procurement program for the F-35 in August 2025, and the signing of a deal in December 2025 to purchase 30 Hürjet training aircraft from Turkey for 2.6 billion euros. Turkish officials confirmed in January 2026 that they are ready to explore cooperation with Spain in the KAAN program, with analysts seeing this as a “plan B” for Spain in case the FCAS project fails.

At the center of the cooperation is the TF35000 engine, which was introduced by Turkey in May 2025 and entered the critical design review (CDR) phase in early February 2026. The engine, with a thrust of 35,000 pounds, is intended to replace the American F110 engines manufactured by General Electric. According to the report, the apparent division of labor is based on the fact that TEI provides the production capabilities and infrastructure, while the Spanish ITP Aero contributes the expertise in the “hot part” of the engine, with an emphasis on the low pressure turbine (LPT), an area in which it gained experience in the Eurofighter project.

The planned schedule for the project is ambitious: ground tests for the first prototype are expected in 2026, a hybrid flight combining an American engine and a new engine is planned for 2029, and full integration is expected in 2032. The ultimate goal is to make the KAAN an aircraft completely free from US vetoes. For Spain, the move allows maintaining research and development centers in Madrid and the Basque Country and freeing it from dependence on the French company Safran. For Turkey, the partnership provides a “European stamp” and EASA approval, which is essential for exporting the aircraft to countries such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Technically, the report notes that the KAAN, in a twin-engine configuration with a total thrust of 70,000 pounds, is designed to offer “super-cruise” capabilities at Mach 1.4 to 1.6 and a low thermal signature. It is claimed that these capabilities give it an advantage over the American F-35, which has difficulty flying at supersonic speed for a long time without using an afterburner, which increases its fuel consumption and thermal signature.