Turkey, Pakistan working together on TF-X, a fifth-generation fighter aircraft
The Pakistani and Turkish governments are collaborating on the TF-X, a fifth-generation fighter jet. This is a significant development.
The development comes as a surprise, after Turkey’s exclusion from the US’ F-35 programme Following its purchase from Rosoboronexport, a sanctioned Russian export organisation, of the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile system.
Temel Kotil, President and CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), spoke about the development during the TV show.
TAI built its first office in Pakistan’s first technology park, the National Science & Technology Park, in 2019.
According to Air Vice-Marshal Dr Rizwan Riaz, Pro-Rector of NUST’s Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (RIC) Division, Pakistan and Turkey are presently developing a fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
According to Dr Riaz, the program’s structure is such that the Turkish team assign lesser responsibilities to students and researchers in the country. “After that, the component elements are broken down into smaller tasks, which are then combined,” he added.
Officials did not disclose any other details about the fighter jet’s development.
According to media reports, Turkey Aerospace Industries is building the stealth twin-engine, all-weather TF-X aircraft, which is expected to fly in the next three years.
Turkey has shown its TFX fighter prototype at the Singapore Airshow, Asia’s most prominent yearly airshow. From the 15th to the 18th of February, the event was held in the Changi Exhibition Center in Singapore.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the Turkish Air Force (TAF) will collaborate to redesign and modify the TFX jet from the ground up to better fulfil their needs, after Pakistan’s official alliance with Turkey.
Kotil and his staff are in Pakistan, according to Dr Riaz, and they want to expand the facility’s scope.
According to him, NUST has previously collaborated with the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on similar initiatives.
Meanwhile, Kotil has stated that he is transporting goods to Pakistan. This, he claimed, was a more realistic option than inviting Pakistani engineers to Turkey.
Pakistan and Turkey have collaborated on the development of drone technologies in addition to the purchase of helicopters.
Last year, TAI obtained a deal with Pakistan’s National Engineering and Science Commission (NESCOM) to build unmanned drones, called Anka.
Anka’s components will be created and developed as part of the contract. Both organisations will handle joint employment, technological transfer, and resource management, according to the statement.
