Pakistan’s demand for fifth-generation fighter jets appears to be growing. Amid reports that the cash-strapped country has decided to purchase China’s newly announced J-35A aircraft, it is said that it is currently in talks with Ankara for cooperation regarding Turkey’s fifth-generation fighter jet “KAAN”. It has been reported.
At the 8th Pak-Turkish Industry Expo Joint Working Group meeting held in Pakistan recently, the two countries discussed bilateral defense and Industrial cooperation was discussed. According to Turkish media reports, the meeting was attended by representatives of 32 organizations, including defense giants from both countries.
In addition to exploring the possibility of exporting KAAN to Pakistan, the two countries also reportedly discussed the design and joint development of an entirely new helicopter.
Pakistan and Turkey are close allies. In 2021, the two countries signed a formal agreement to enhance defense cooperation through joint arms manufacturing and have continued to make concerted efforts to foster engagement and cooperation ever since. The potential contract with KAAN is one element of this growing partnership, especially as Turkey seeks customers for its fifth-generation jets and Pakistan has ambitions to modernize its air force.
In July 2023, reports and social media posts by Pakistani military bloggers suggested that Pakistan was about to sign a deal to participate in the KAAN stealth fighter jet project. An agreement for that has not yet been signed.
KAAN has come a long way since then. Manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), KAAN made its first flight in February 2024, putting Turkey in the group of elite countries that have independently developed fifth-generation aircraft.
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Some experts believe that the KAAN was conceived as an air superiority fighter, but has evolved into a multi-role fighter more akin to the F-35. This also explains Pakistan’s continued interest in the aircraft.
Talks regarding the export of KAAN continue to take place, but there is a lack of information about the nature of these talks and whether Islamabad will join the program as a co-developer or purchase the aircraft.
Previous reports suggested that Pakistan could join the program as a collaborator, providing technology and shouldering the financial burden. However, as detailed in a previous report by EuroAsian Times, cash-strapped Pakistan may not contribute much to KAAN’s development.
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Pakistani sources told EuroAsian Times that the two countries are in serious talks about exporting Khan, but stressed that it is too early to speculate at this stage. The source added that, unlike India, Islamabad prefers to keep its big-ticket military acquisitions secret.
Additionally, Group Captain Johnson Chacko (retd) shared some predictions regarding Pakistan’s acquisition of KAAN with EuroAsian Times. He said, “Pakistan may have officially joined the KAAN stealth aircraft project. Several subsystems will be manufactured in Pakistan. Joint production lines may be established. It will significantly reduce the burden and provide employment to Pakistanis.”
Nevertheless, this prospect is interesting as Pakistan may have already decided to purchase China’s newly announced fifth generation fighter jet J-35.
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Many speculative reports suggest that the Pakistan Air Force has approved the purchase of 40 Chinese-made J-35 aircraft, with deliveries expected within the next two years.
In January 2024, Pakistan Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu said that the “foundation has already been laid for the acquisition of the J-31 stealth fighter” and that the aircraft would “soon” join the PAF’s fleet. He said it would be. The J-35 is considered a more advanced “production-ready” version of the earlier FC-31 model.
The J-35 is a medium-sized fighter aircraft with a horizontal stabilizer configuration and surface attack capability. If the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) acquires this aircraft, its capabilities will be significantly enhanced. Details of the J-35 are currently shrouded in secrecy, but Chinese experts claim it is the world’s “stealthiest” aircraft.
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Pakistan was previously known to be working on developing a fifth generation aircraft under project Azm. In July 2017, the PAF officially announced Project Azm, which will develop platforms such as fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), new munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, due to the lack of new developments regarding the aircraft in recent years, it is believed that the project has been shelved or postponed indefinitely.
Perhaps this is where Türkiye’s fifth-generation fighter project KAAN and China’s J-35 come into play. Pakistan’s acquisition of military infrastructure has historically been influenced by Pakistan’s ambitions to counter its arch-rival India.
Although neither yet has a fifth-generation aircraft, India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is in a better position than Pakistan’s Project Azm.
With the acquisition of fifth-generation stealth aircraft, Pakistan will effectively have a more technologically advanced air force. However, it remains to be seen whether cash-strapped Islamabad will be able to afford two different types of stealth fighter jets – China’s J-35 and Turkey’s KAAN.
Air Marshal (Ret.) Anil Chopra, a veteran of the Indian Air Force and an experienced aviation expert, told EuroAsian Times: “Pakistan and Turkey will continue talks to export KAAN. For Turkey, Pakistan is a close friend in the Islamic world and is a good market for Turkish jets. Currently, there are already around 200 Pakistani engineers are working at TAI and Turkey is keen to establish a facility in Pakistan.
“But Turkey’s KAAN will not be ready for deployment until 2030. On the contrary, China (with a more advanced aviation industry) could deliver the J-35 sooner than Turkey can deliver the KAAN. ” China knows that selling the J-35 to Pakistan will increase the possibility of exporting the aircraft to other countries. ”
Asked whether Pakistan would buy both of the fifth-generation fighter jets it is interested in, Air Force Commander Chopra said, “Pakistan cannot afford to buy two different types of stealth aircraft.” Cooperation on the KAAN program could ultimately lead to Pakistan acquiring advanced fifth-generation technology that can be used to manufacture indigenous fifth-generation aircraft.
“Furthermore, these negotiations are likely to continue as the Pakistani military has a large share of Chinese-made equipment. They recognize the need to diversify. “We will strengthen defense cooperation with Turkey, which is a capable partner.”
Nevertheless, if Pakistan acquires fifth-generation stealth fighters, India will find itself in a highly unstable situation. India’s AMCA is still under development and is expected to be operational by the mid-2030s.
This effectively means that Pakistan will beat India in the fifth generation race and have the upper hand in air combat in the coming years. Advanced stealth aircraft are difficult to intercept by air defense systems, allowing them to conduct pre-emptive strikes.
India is now starved for options. There are only two options available: the U.S. F-35 Lightning II and the Russian Su-57, but none perfectly match our strategic needs. Additionally, India is currently facing depletion of its squadron strength, which has fallen to just 31 compared to authorized strength of 42.
India is also having trouble getting the aircraft it ordered a long time ago. Speaking at a seminar recently, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief AP Singh lamented the slow progress in deliveries of Tejas aircraft ordered in 2009-2010. “We have to go back to 1984, when we invented that aircraft. The first aircraft flew 17 years later in 2001. Introduction began another 15 years later in 2016. Now we are in 2024. I also don’t have the first 40 aircraft, so this is the production capacity,” the IAF chief said.
On the contrary, Pakistan acted quickly and introduced the J-10CE 4.5 generation fighter jet acquired from China in recent years to counter India’s Rafale.
Against this backdrop, if Pakistan procures fifth-generation aircraft, the gap between Pakistan and the Indian Air Force will widen further. Together with the F-16 and J-10C, these aircraft could give Pakistan an advantage over India.
