Earlier this year Turkey completed the maiden test flight of its prototype Kaan fighter, a development celebrated in Ankara. Is this the groundbreaking achievement Turkish media is claiming, and what does it mean for Turkey’s defense industry? Rebecca Lucas, a senior analyst in defense and security with RAND Europe, and Stuart Dee, a research leader in the defense and security research group at RAND Europe, join Thanos Davelis to look into the Kaan fighter jet, break down whether the hype around it is justified, and see how it fits into the broader aims of Turkish defense-industrial investment. 

Rebecca Lucas is a senior analyst in defense and security with RAND Europe and is heavily involved with RAND’s Centre for Defence Economics and Acquisition. Her research focuses on the defense-industrial base, acquisition policy, and supply-chain analysis, as well as a regional focus on Turkey.

Stuart Dee is a research leader in the defense and security research group at RAND Europe, focusing primarily on defense economics and acquisition, as well as issues relating to the U.K. industrial base and defense exports. He is also a member of RAND’s Centre for Defence Economics and Acquisition.

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

Crowning Achievement? Kaan And The Turkish Defense Industry

Greek PM warns ‘isolated’ Skopje over compliance with name deal

Athens awaits next move by Skopje

Cyprus LNG terminal talks go on

Charges dropped against nine Egyptians over 2023 migrant shipwreck off Greece