Seeing that all countries in the world seem to want to have a "first-class fighter feast", do you feel that the fifth-generation fighter is no longer so mysterious and out of reach? Yes, after the cool debut of China's J-20, other countries seem to be unable to suppress their excitement. South Korea announced that the KF-21** fighter completed the test flight project in just over a year and is ready to start mass production this year; And Turkey followed suit and proudly announced the successful first flight of the domestically produced "Khan" ** fighter!
The American "Defense Blog" ** was amazed by Turkey's military ambitions, so the "Khan" fighter completed its first flight accompanied by F-16D fighters on the 21st, and the whole process went smoothly. Judging from the scene, the nose was equipped with an airspeed tube, and there were no accidents in the whole process, and it seemed that everything was in order.
The Khan fighter, formerly known as the TF-X, was designed to replace the American-made F-16 family of fighters currently in service in Turkey. Although the first flight was originally planned for December 27, 2023, the first flight date was postponed to ensure the safety and performance of the fighter. In terms of appearance design, it borrows from the American F-22, but due to the limitations of aviation power, only the F110-GE-129 engine used in the F-15 fighter can be used. Some people joke that this is just a ** version of the F-15. In any case, this successful maiden flight marks a leap forward in Turkish aviation's technology, and it seems that they also want a piece of the race to be the best aircraft.
Lieutenant General Ismail Hakipekin, head of Turkish military intelligence, is even more confident in the "Khan" and believes that it will lead Turkey to become the air supremacy in the region. He said that it is expected that Turkey's negotiations on the introduction of American-made F-35** fighters will eventually have a good result, so in the 40s of the 21st century, the main force of Turkey's air force will be jointly undertaken by the "Khan" and the F-35.
However, we need to look at all this rationally. Compared with the American F-22 and F-35, Russia's Su-57 and China's J-20 and J-35, South Korea, Turkey and other "rising stars" are making rapid progress in the development of "fifth-generation fighters". They don't seem to spend a lot of time on the exterior design. This is because the aerodynamic shape of the fighter should ensure high maneuverability and supersonic cruising characteristics, and it is also very complicated to consider the radar effect. South Korea's KF-21 directly adopts the design scheme of the American Lockheed Martin company, and the Turkish "Khan" fighter looks very good in appearance, but due to the lack of professional equipment, the actual capabilities may be unsatisfactory.
Summing up, whether it is the KF-21 or the "Khan" fighter, it seems that this is just an illusion that some countries want to "imitate China". It is not so easy to take off the crown in the field of military industry! In this technology-intensive field, China has an insurmountable first-mover advantage. So, military fans, don't be fooled by appearances, let's pay more attention to China's J-20, after all, the real king is self-evident!