Pakistan’s appetite for a fifth-generation fighter jet appears to be expanding. Amid reports that the cash-strapped country has decided to purchase China’s newly unveiled J-35A aircraft, it is now reportedly holding discussions with Ankara for collaboration on Turkey’s fifth-generation combat jet, KAAN.
During the recently held eighth Pak-Turk Industrial Expo Joint Working Group meeting in Pakistan, the two sides discussed bilateral defense and industrial cooperation, including the possible export of Turkey’s KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet to the Pakistani Air Force (PAF). According to Turkish reports, the talks were attended by representatives of 32 institutions, including defense giants from both countries.
In addition to exploring the potential export of KAAN to Pakistan, both nations reportedly also discussed the design and co-development of an all-new helicopter.
Pakistan and Turkey are close allies. In 2021, the two states signed a formal agreement to boost defense cooperation by undertaking joint arms manufacturing and have since made concerted efforts to boost engagement and collaboration. The potential deal for KAAN is one of the components of this growing partnership, especially as Turkey seeks customers for its fifth-generation jet and Pakistan harbors ambitions to modernize its air force.
In July 2023, reports and social media posts from Pakistani military bloggers suggested that Pakistan was on the cusp of signing a contract to join the ‘KAAN’ stealth fighter jet project. No agreement to that end has been signed—yet.
The KAAN has come a long way since. Manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), KAAN made its first flight in February 2024, catapulting Turkey into the elite group of countries that have indigenously developed a fifth-generation aircraft.
Though envisioned as an air-superiority fighter, some experts believe that the KAAN has evolved into a multi-role fighter, more on the lines of the F-35. This also explains Pakistan’s sustained interest in the aircraft.
While the discussions on KAAN’s export continue to take place, there is a paucity of information about the nature of these talks and whether Islamabad would join the program as a co-developer or purchase the aircraft.
Previous reports suggested that Pakistan might join the program as a collaborator, contributing technology and shouldering financial burdens. However, as EurAsian Times explored in detail in a previous report, a cash-starved Pakistan may not bring much to the table for the development of KAAN.
A source in Pakistan told EurAsian Times that the two sides are seriously discussing the export of KAAN but emphasized that making assumptions at this stage would be premature. Islamabad, unlike India, the source added, likes to keep its big-ticket military acquisitions under wraps.
Additionally, Group Captain Johnson Chacko (retd) shared some predictions about Pakistan’s acquisition of KAAN with the EurAsian Times. He said: “Pakistan might have officially joined the KAAN stealth aircraft project. Multiple subsystems would be manufactured in Pakistan. A joint production line is likely being established. This will reduce the financial burden considerably and provide jobs for Pakistanis.”
The prospect is, nevertheless, intriguing because Pakistan might have already decided to buy China’s newly unveiled J-35 fifth-generation combat aircraft.
Two Fifth-Gen Stealth Fighters For Pakistan?
A host of speculative reports suggest that the Pakistan Air Force has approved the purchase of 40 Chinese J-35 aircraft, which should be delivered in the next two years.
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, the chief of Pakistan’s Air Force, said in January 2024 that the “foundation for acquiring the J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid” and that it would join the PAF’s fleet “shortly.” The J-35 is believed to be a more advanced and “production-ready” iteration of the earlier FC-31 model.
The J-35 is a medium-sized fighter with a tailplane wing configuration and a surface-attack capability. The acquisition of the aircraft by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) would significantly bolster its capability. Though details about the J-35 currently remain shrouded in secrecy, Chinese experts have claimed that the J-35 is the “most stealthy” aircraft in the world.
Pakistan was previously known to be working on its fifth-generation aircraft under Project Azm. The PAF officially unveiled Project Azm in July 2017 to develop a Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), new munitions, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), among other platforms. However, with no new development on the aircraft in several years, the project is believed to have been shelved or postponed indefinitely.
This is perhaps where the Turkish fifth-generation fighter project KAAN and the Chinese J-35 come into the picture. Pakistan’s acquisition of military platforms has historically been influenced by its ambition to outmatch its arch-rival, India.
While neither of the two has a fifth-generation aircraft yet, India’s Advance Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is still better placed than Pakistan’s Project Azm.
With the acquisition of a fifth-generation stealth aircraft, Pakistan will effectively have a more technologically advanced air force. However, whether a cash-strapped Islamabad can afford to buy two different stealth fighters (the Chinese J-35 and the Turkish KAAN) remains to be seen.
Indian Air Force veteran and a seasoned aviation expert, Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), told EurAsian Times: “Pakistan and Turkey will keep talking for export of KAAN. For Turkey, Pakistan is a close friend of the Islamic world and an excellent market for Turkish jets. About 200 Pakistani technicians are already working in TAI right now, and Turkey is eager to set up facilities in Pakistan.
“However, Turkey’s KAAN is not going to be ready for induction before 2030. On the contrary, China (with a more advanced aviation industry) can deliver the J-35 faster than Turkey can deliver the KAAN. China knows marketing the J-35 to Pakistan would boost the aircraft’s export potential elsewhere.”
On whether Pakistan would purchase both fifth-generation fighter jets that it has shown interest in, Air Marshal Chopra said, “Pakistan cannot afford to buy two different stealth aircraft. The collaboration on the KAAN program might ultimately translate into Pakistan acquiring some sophisticated fifth-generation technologies that it can use in the production of its indigenous fifth-generation aircraft, if at all.
“Moreover, these talks are likely to continue because Pakistan’s military is made up of a majority of Chinese equipment. They realize they need to diversify. Through KAAN, they strengthen their defense cooperation with a trusted and reliable partner, Turkey.”
Nevertheless, Pakistan’s acquisition of a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet would put India in a very precarious situation. India’s AMCA is still under development and is anticipated to enter service only by the mid-2030s.
This practically means that Pakistan would beat India in the fifth-generation race and have an edge in air combat in the next couple of years. Advanced stealth aircraft are harder to intercept by air defense systems, and hence, they can launch first strikes.
India is currently starved for choices. The only two options available are the US F-35 Lightning II and the Russian Su-57, and none perfectly align with its strategic needs. In addition, India is also currently staring at a depleted squadron strength—down to just 31, as opposed to the sanctioned strength of 42.
India is also struggling with inducting aircraft that were ordered long ago. Speaking at a seminar recently, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief AP Singh lamented the snail-paced delivery of the Tejas aircraft that have been ordered since 2009-10. “We should go back to 1984 when we conceived that aircraft. The first aircraft flew in 2001, 17 years later. The induction started another 15 years later, in 2016. Today, we are in 2024. I do not have the first 40 aircraft also, so this is the production capability,” the IAF chief said.
On the contrary, Pakistan has acted swiftly and inducted J-10CE 4.5th generation fighters acquired from China in the last few years to counter Indian Rafale.
Against that backdrop, Pakistan’s procurement of a fifth-generation aircraft would further widen the gap that exists between the Pakistani and the Indian Air Force. Together with the F-16 and J-10C, these aircraft could give Pakistan an edge over India.
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