What Fighter Jets Does Turkey Have? F-16, Eurofighter and KAAN

The Turkish Air Force flies two fighter types, both American: about 240 F-16C/Ds and a few dozen F-4E Phantoms. Three replacements are on the way at different speeds. Britain is building 20 Eurofighter Typhoons for delivery from 2030, up to 24 second-hand Typhoons are coming from Qatar and Oman, and the Turkish-designed KAAN is in flight test with first deliveries promised for 2028.

This guide sets out what Turkey flies today, what it has ordered, and why a NATO air force that helped build the F-35 does not have one.

What fighter jets does Turkey have?

Two in service, two on order and one in development. The numbers below draw on FlightGlobal fleet data as compiled by AeroCorner in October 2026 and on the Polish Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW).

Behind the fighters are four Boeing E-7T airborne early warning aircraft and seven KC-135R tankers, a support fleet that few air forces in the region can match.

The F-16 fleet: large, ageing and upgraded at home

The F-16 has been the backbone since 1987, and most of the fleet was assembled in Turkey under licence. The newest aircraft, 30 Block 50+ jets, arrived in 2011 and 2012. Most of the rest date from the 1980s and 1990s, and OSW estimates that about 150 of the 230 to 240 airframes are operational.

Washington approved a package in January 2024 that covered 40 new Block 70 aircraft and 79 upgrade kits. Ankara dropped the kits later that year and chose to modernise the jets itself. The Özgür programme fits Turkish avionics, a Turkish AESA radar, Turkish electronic warfare equipment and Turkish weapons, starting with the oldest Block 30s. The 40 new aircraft, worth about $7 billion, are still unsigned. OSW reports that the talks have stalled over source codes, which Turkey wants so that it can integrate its own missiles and radars.

Eurofighter Typhoon: 44 jets from three sources

The Typhoon is the stopgap. Turkey signed for 20 new Tranche 4 aircraft on 27 October 2025, during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Ankara. London valued the deal at £8 billion. The Turkish Defence Ministry put the aircraft, equipment and weapons at about £5.4 billion. Six are due in 2030, eight in 2031 and six in 2032.

To get aircraft sooner, Ankara turned to the Gulf. An agreement for 12 Tranche 3A jets from Qatar, fitted with the ECRS Mk0 AESA radar, has been finalised, and talks on 12 more from Oman continue. A support contract signed on 25 March 2026 covers the training of 10 pilots and 100 ground crew in Britain. As of early October 2026 none of the second-hand jets was counted in Turkish service.

The weapons matter as much as the airframe. The package includes the MBDA Meteor, a ramjet-powered air-to-air missile with a longer reach than the AMRAAM that Turkish F-16s carry, and the Brimstone ground-attack missile. Greece already fields Meteor on its Rafales. The Typhoon gives Turkey the same missile from 2030.

KAAN: the fighter Turkey is building itself

KAAN first flew on 21 February 2024 and flew again that May. Turkish Aerospace then spent two years building the next aircraft. It showed three prototypes on 13 February 2026, signed a contract for 20 Block 10 production aircraft in May and began taxi tests of the second prototype on 31 July. Deliveries are promised from 2028, and Indonesia agreed in 2025 to buy 48.

The aircraft is 20.3 metres long, has a maximum take-off weight of 34.75 tonnes and is designed for Mach 1.8. Its weak point is the engine. Every KAAN built so far uses two American General Electric F110s, the engine of the F-16, and the US government moved in June 2026 to approve a $705 million sale of F110s for the Block 10 batch. The Turkish TF35000 engine is not expected to be integrated before about 2032. Until then the programme depends on an export licence from the country that removed Turkey from the F-35. Our comparison of KAAN and South Korea’s KF-21 sets out how the two designs differ.

Why does Turkey not have the F-35?

Turkey was a partner in the F-35 programme from 2002, built parts for the aircraft and planned to buy 100. It was removed in July 2019 after taking delivery of Russian S-400 air defence missiles, and US sanctions on its procurement agency followed in December 2020. The aircraft already built for Turkey were never handed over.

Ankara has not given up, and the question is closer to an answer than at any time since 2019. Defence Minister Yaşar Güler said in November 2024 that Turkey wants 40. At the NATO summit in Ankara on 7 July 2026, President Donald Trump said Washington would lift the sanctions and decide on a possible F-35 sale. US law still bars any transfer while Turkey holds the S-400. Turkish media reported that month that Ankara was preparing to sell the system to a Gulf state, and the Defence Ministry confirmed only that work on its future was under way. Until that is settled, the F-35 stays blocked.

What comes next?

The plan runs on three clocks. Second-hand Typhoons are meant to give some capability by 2027. New Typhoons and the first KAANs arrive between 2028 and 2032. The F-4Es, which were supposed to give way to the F-35, will fly until at least 2030. For most of that period the old F-16 remains the aircraft that would do the fighting.

Trainers are moving faster than fighters. The first Hürjet jet trainer built for the air force flew on 30 August 2026, and the first two Hürkuş II turboprops were delivered on 28 September.

Frequently asked questions

How many fighter jets does Turkey have?

About 240 F-16C/Ds and a few dozen F-4E Phantoms, roughly 260 to 290 combat aircraft in total. About 150 of the F-16s are rated operational.

Does Turkey have the F-35?

No. It was removed from the programme in 2019 over its purchase of Russian S-400 missiles.

When will Turkey get Eurofighter Typhoons?

New aircraft from Britain are due from 2030 to 2032. Second-hand jets from Qatar are expected earlier, with operational flying planned for 2027.

Is KAAN a fifth-generation fighter?

Turkey presents it as one. It has internal weapons bays and a stealth-shaped airframe, but OSW rates it well below the F-35 in stealth and sensors, and it currently flies on F-16 engines.

How many F-16s does Turkey have?

Between 230 and 240, mostly Block 30, 40 and 50 aircraft.

When will KAAN enter service?

The first 20 Block 10 aircraft are contracted for delivery from 2028.