Recently, Turkey's self-developed "Khan" fighter finally "soared into the sky" and completed its first flight accompanied by the F-16 fighter jets of the Turkish Air Force. This means that Turkey has become another country after South Korea to come up with a fifth-generation aircraft. You must know that the fifth-generation aircraft is technically difficult and requires a high technical level, even many traditional European air force powers such as France and Sweden have not been able to come up with the fifth-generation aircraft. It can be seen that although there is a certain gap between Turkey's fifth-generation aircraft and the regular fifth-generation aircraft of China, the United States and Russia, but objectively Turkey's move is indeed a great feat.
However, like Turkey, India, which is also an Asian power, has "poured cold water" on Turkey's progress. Recently, India's influential ** "Indian Defense Studies" published an article mocking Turkey and South Korea's fifth-generation aircraft, showing India's consistent self-confident attitude. In the article, India first did admit that it has been surpassed by Turkey and South Korea in terms of fifth-generation aircraft, and it is indeed very difficult for it to come up with fifth-generation aircraft in the short term with India's current strength and research progress.
However, as soon as the conversation changed, India immediately "stood up" again. In the article, the Indian media sharply criticized the inadequacy of the fifth-generation aircraft of South Korea and Turkey. It is believed that South Korea's KF-21 has an average technical level, especially it does not have the "standard" of a fifth-generation aircraft - a built-in bomb bay, so it is not a fifth-generation aircraft in the true sense. Turkey's fifth-generation aircraft, including engines, and other technologies, still have to rely on the support of the United States, so there is a big gap between them and India's AMCA fighters, which are still in a model state, and it can be said that "it is difficult to compare with India's AMCA project." Moreover, the Indian media pointed out that as long as India can come up with AMCA, it can still "change the rules of the game".
But in fact, the reason why the South Korean side did not come up with a fifth-generation aircraft with a built-in bomb bay is mainly to solve the problem first, and it has already developed a plan to gradually improve the KF-21, which is still organized; And Turkey's fifth-generation aircraft is indeed provided by the West in terms of engines, but this does not mean that Turkey's fifth-generation aircraft must not be successful, after all, the J-20 also used the Russian Al-31F, isn't it?
Compared with South Korea and Turkey, India's AMCA fighter jet program has started very early, but there have been no waves so far, and now it is a bit incomprehensible to mock Turkey and South Korea.
Finally, the author believes that now even middle powers such as South Korea and Turkey can come up with fifth-generation aircraft, which means that the technology of fifth-generation aircraft has gradually begun to spread and is no longer as "out of reach" as before. Therefore, for China, the United States, Russia and other powerful countries, it may be time to develop sixth-generation aircraft!