No F-35, no problem, as Turkey's fifth-generation fighter jet takes off

In a landmark moment for Turkish aerospace, its first locally made combat aircraft, the KAAN fighter, completed its maiden flight at the Akinci air base, near Ankara.

On the surface, the 13-minute flight might seem like a tame effort, but it is a huge step in the country's efforts to upgrade its air force.

Turkey is aiming to become one of the few countries possessing the entire value chain for making advanced combat aircraft, covering everything from technology, infrastructure, human resources and manufacturing capabilities.

• New £161m contract for F-35 maintenance and training to support UK's fleet until 2027
• F-35B Lightning jets land on warship ahead of largest Nato exercise since Cold War
• Immortals return: 809 Squadron rises from the ashes to operate the F-35B

Turkey had been a member of the American F-35 fighter jet programme until 2019 but was removed from the joint strike fighter programme when Turkey decided to buy advanced S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia.

Its new programme of stealth twin-engined all-weather air superiority fighter is being produced by the state-owned Turkish Aerospace Industries with Britain's BAE Systems acting as a subcontractor.

Turkey is aiming to field a fifth-generation combat aircraft to meet Turkish Air Force requirements beyond the 2030s, replacing the current F-16 fleet.

Mr Temel Kotil, the CEO of manufacturer Turkish Aerospace Industries, said on X the first flight took 13 minutes and the aircraft registered a speed of 230 knots, reaching an altitude of 8,000ft.