As part of Turkey’s domestic and national warplane project, MMU-KAAN was showcased at the Teknofest event last month. The MMU KAAN project, produced in the F-22 concept, was launched after the F-35 crisis between Turkey and the USA. After the first take-off of the MMU KAAN aircraft to the runway, the first flight announcement came from TUSAŞ, the company that carried out the project. So which one is better F-35 or MMU KAAN? Here is the F-35 and MMU KAAN comparison!
MMU KAAN vs F-35!
The two planes that we are going to compare right now are actually not exactly the same concept. The F-35 project was launched in the early 2000s as part of the production of 5th generation fighter jets. It made its first flight on December 15, 2006. Since then, the F-35 project continued to be developed. In addition, Block 40, 50 and 70 modernization packages were produced for F-16 warplanes. Turkey, on the other hand, produced the Blok-ÖZGÜR kit locally and nationally in the last quarter of 2022 as a competitor to Blok-70.
As for the MMU-KAAN project, let’s start by stating that the original name of the project is MMU TF-X. The project, which was developed in partnership with SSB and TAI, was put forward in 2010 at the first stage. With the completion of the conceptual stages of the project, the first studies started in 2013.
Things to consider when buying a used car!
Don’t buy a car without checking out our list of “things to consider when buying a second hand car”! Here are the details…
Between the start of the production of a 5th generation fighter jet and its first flight, there is a period of 8 to 10 years in general. In the MMU TF-X project, 10 years of studies were carried out for 8 flights for the first production. It should be noted that it was a very successful period compared to the sector.
Before comparing the features of the aircraft, we should state that it is more difficult to provide full-scale information for the MMU-KAAN compared to the F-35. Because MMU-KAAN has not finished its first flight and flight tests yet. For this reason, it is impossible for us to know all the capabilities of the aircraft. It would be much more logical to make a comparison with the general features in the first place.
The table comparing the two planes in terms of their general characteristics:
| Features | MMU KAAN | F-35A |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | one | one |
| Length | 21 meters (69 ft) | 15.7 meters (52 ft) |
| Height | 6 meters (20 ft) | 4.38 meters (14.4 ft) |
| wingspan | 14 meters (46 ft) | 10.7 meters (35 ft) |
| Power source | 2 × GE F110-GE-129 turbofans | 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan |
| Propulsion (without Afterburner) | 2 × 17,155 lbs-force (76 kN) | 28,000 lbs-force (125 kN) |
| Thrust (with Afterburner) | 2 × 29,400 lbs-force (131 kN) | 43,000 lbs-force (191 kN) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 1.8 (2,210 km/h) | 1.6+ Mach (1,932 km/h) |
| service ceiling | 55,000 feet (17,000 m) | 60,000 ft (18,288 m) |
| G limit | +9g / -3.5g | 9G |
| Avionics | ASELSAN AESA Radar, SAR, IRST, EOTS, DIRCM, Helmet Mounted Sight System | Advanced avionics systems |
| Internal fuel quantity | No information has been provided yet. | F-35A: 18,250 lb (8,280 kg) |
| Max Takeoff Weight | No information has been provided yet. | 31,751 kg (69,999 lb) |
| combat radius | No information has been provided yet. | F-35A: 1,081 km (584 nautical miles) |
| Propulsion/Weight ratio | No information has been provided yet. | A: 0.89 |
The table comparing the two aircraft in terms of avionics:
| Avionics Features | F-35A | MMU KAAN |
|---|---|---|
| Radar | Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 AESA radar | ASELSAN’s local AESA Radar BURFIS |
| Electronic Warfare System | BAE Systems AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda | No information provided. |
| Distributed Diaphragm System | Northrop Grumman/Raytheon AN/AAQ-37 DAS | – |
| Electro-Optical Targeting System | Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-40 EOTS | TOYGUN (EOTS) |
| Communication, Positioning and Identification Team | Northrop Grumman AN/ASQ-242 CNI | – |
| Multi-Function Advanced Data Link System | Harris Corporation MADL communication system | – |
| Synthetic Aperture Radar System | – | SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar System) |
| Infrared Search and Tracking Sensor | CNI | IRST (KARAT) |
| Directed Infrared Countermeasure System | – | DIRCM (Lightning-300) |
| Helmet Mounted Sight System | – | Helmet Mounted Sight System |
There is an element that needs attention in the comparison tables. The F-35 has been in the skies for years, and its many capabilities are now known. However, the MMU KAAN is a secretly developed project and its full specifications will probably not be revealed until the flight tests are complete. For this reason, the tables comparing the two aircraft do not yet provide all the qualifications, but it will be clear which aircraft is superior in the future.