New Player in the Stealth Game? Turkey Unveils Indigenous TF-X Fifth Generation Fighter

[Cookie Monster]

Will it be a success?

Well, I have doubts. Let's take a look at our own national main battle tank program. It has been 4 years since the project finalized but still we have been waiting for serial production. Still we have no engine to power it plus armor.

This project is more complex and hard to achieve comparing to MBT project. In my opinion, this is an another project to be a never ending story for our defense industry.

The tank project can succeed if u guys get Ukraine on board. Ukraine can help develop a powerplant(or u guys can license produce some already existing solution). In case of armor too, Ukraine can help. Ukraine needs money and they have a lot to offer when it comes to tanks. Together Ukraine and Turkey can easily come up with a decent tank.

As for the TFX...it's gonna be way more resource intensive and complex. Again as long as there's no fixation on doing everything indigenously...like the engine...it will be fine. The default option would be a western source like Rolls Royce...but if that falls through depending on relations...then Turkey could pivot to Russia. Russia is already working on a new engine for it's next gen fighter(possible license production)...plus they have experience designing jet engines so a JV could be an option.

If Turkey doesn't enlist outside help for engine development, then TFX would be in R&D forever like Indian projects. Just take it a step at a time...develop what u can and acquire the rest(from other sources)...until eventually ur defence industry would mature enough to be able to do everything on its own.

 

[Avicenna]

Concerned about lack of rear visibility from the cockpit.

Also, plan for Western antagonism and attempts to de-rail this project.

Sourcing the engine is key.

Attempt Western in addition to indigenous attempts but also plan for Russian if need be.

Most of all be pragmatic, even at the cost of national pride.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Concerned about lack of rear visibility from the cockpit.

Also, plan for Western antagonism and attempts to de-rail this project.

Sourcing the engine is key.

Attempt Western in addition to indigenous attempts but also plan for Russian if need be.

Most of all be pragmatic, even at the cost of national pride.

I think this mock up is only to create hype to get the project going. For the actual TFX body...after making some computer models and then testing it's radar signature from multiple angles...making modifications to that design and retesting, etc. would mean a design that's probably gonna be much different than this one. Other parameters like engine size would also have a bearing on the final design. The project has quite a long way to go.

 

[M.AsfandYar]

Will it be a success?

This project is more complex and hard to achieve comparing to MBT project. In my opinion, this is an another project to be a never ending story for our defense industry.

Well this has been going smoothly thus far. Have hope.

 

[eagleeye]

Guys we do not develop tfx alone. bae systems is on board. with bae systems on our side we have more chance of success than korea.

 

[Indos]

The success of the program will also be determined by its sales and I think it depend on the time the program should be finished. The timing is really crucial here. If the program get delayed too long it will be difficult to absorb the market since its competitor have already entered the market sooner. Just like how late Euro fighter typhoon and Rafale enter the market can bring some lesson.

And I am agree that Turkey must start somewhere. My advice is that Turkey should finance TFX project instead of spending on 100 F35. Wanting everything will hurt the economy, sacrifice is needed to achieve ambitious plan. The engine research must go on even though it maybe not being used for the program. Turkey and Iran is the only hope from Muslim world to produce turbofan engine for jet fighter.

Coming back to KFX program can also become an option so that more resources can be put into engine research and development.

 

[Ali_Baba]

Since BAe is also working on TFX, a lot of technology and Ideas will be shared between Tempest and TFX, helping to de-risk both programmes.

Rolls Royce will develop a new engine for Tempest. While this wont meet the TOT requirements that the TFX has, push come to shove, they can also use the engine in TFX on the same basis they are going to use the GE 414 engine.

 

[Dante80]

"Our machine is a mock-up, but in 2023 there will be a real machine, and first flight is in 2025, and [it will be in] service in 2028.”

Given the parameters for what THK would want in a fighter, this is an extremely ambitious and agressive timetable.

 

[touela]

Yeah.... not really.
View attachment 565781

The cockpit on TFX seems to be small compared with rest of the body

 

[damm1t]

Since BAe is also working on TFX, a lot of technology and Ideas will be shared between Tempest and TFX, helping to de-risk both programmes

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Why would UK share " alot of tech and idea " with a " business partner " from a future 6th gen fighter they are developing ? These is extremely optimistic angle of view. They are just assisting us, gentlemen. Nobody will give you out of box 5th gen. fighter tech. even with money.

Well if we start like you we should never begin with something, every project have ther difficult story. KF-X didn´t fit TuAf demands, and why would partnering wiht Korea work? Korea trusted Americans for ToT but when Indonesia partnered they have refused to give ToT, so a country with not more experiences then Turkey will succeed? IF you ask me they will regret that they didn't partnered with us.

You have to begin somewhere, if we fail to deliver a Fighter. Still we would have gained experiences. It will be painful, ther is no other option.

He just wants us to fail badly. One word; Germans...

 

[Vergennes]

Well I didn't know it would be presented during the Paris air show,looking forward to see it this saturday.

 

[Dante80]

He just wants us to fail badly. One word; Germans...

Not really, (especially if you know Deino). He is simply pragmatic in this.

 

[damm1t]

He is simply pragmatic in this.

Pragmatic = Germans...

 

[Agha Sher]

The cockpit on TFX seems to be small compared with rest of the body

Agree, the canopy design will limit the pilot's situational awareness in close encounters. Hope they change the canopy design.

Given the parameters for what THK would want in a fighter, this is an extremely ambitious and agressive timetable.

Very aggressive and ambitious. Either they are already further than we think with developing stealth technology and advanced sensors or they will be delayed.

 

[Deino]

Well if we start like you we should never begin with something, every project have ther difficult story. KF-X didn´t fit TuAf demands, and why would partnering wiht Korea work? Korea trusted Americans for ToT but when Indonesia partnered they have refused to give ToT, so a country with not more experiences then Turkey will succeed? IF you ask me they will regret that they didn't partnered with us.

You have to begin somewhere, if we fail to deliver a Fighter. Still we would have gained experiences. It will be painful, ther is no other option.

Agreed, indeed I entirely agree ... however I'm not sure if a more realistic project would be wiser.

But again, time will tell and especially how much politics will have a final word on it.