Diversifying from West, Egypt to join Turkey's Kaan fighter jet development

Turkey has reportedly approved Egyptian participation in the programme for the development of the TAI Kaan fighter jet, opening the door for enhanced military industry cooperation with the Arab country.

Egypt had been eyeing participation in the programme for some time, and Egyptian interest in this regard was purportedly expressed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his visit to Ankara, his first to the Turkish capital as president, in September last year.

Also known as the Turkish Fighter and National Combat Aircraft, the TAI Kaan is a fifth-generation, twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter jet currently being developed by Turkey's state-owned arms manufacturer, Turkish Aerospace Industries.

It is designed to replace the Turkish Air Force's fleet of F-16 fighters. Turkey also aspires to export the same aircraft to the international market after it has been developed.

The jet's development programme is part of Turkey's continuing efforts to ameliorate its air force. This bid is also driving the procurement of a wide range of Western fighter jets, including the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Egypt's participation in the programme for the development of the TAI Kaan fighter jet mirrors its growing military cooperation with Turkey, observers in Cairo said.

It also sheds light on Egypt's military industrialisation aspirations, with the militarily powerful Arab country striving to become an arms manufacturer and exporter in the future, diverting from its current status as solely an arms importer, they added.

"Military industrialisation started so early in Egypt, nearly in the 1960s, reflecting our country's aspirations in this regard," Gen. Hassan Rashid, the former chief of staff of the Egyptian Air Force, told The New Arab.

"Joint manufacturing with Turkey will be a very positive step because it will be so beneficial for the Egyptian Armed Forces," he added.

With a sizeable arms import bill for its economic conditions over the years, Egypt is now reverting to military industrialisation.

The Arab country's military manufacturing facilities now produce a wide range of arms and equipment, some of which have already been showcased at the Egypt Defence Expo, its biannual arms show, and at other international arms exhibitions.

Part of a larger whole

There is limited information available about the extent of Egyptian participation in the development programme for the TAI Kaan fighter jet and whether Egyptian military research institutes will be involved in this process. There is no information available about whether parts of the aspired fighter jet will be produced in Egypt.

Nevertheless, Turkey's approval of Egyptian participation in the programme is part of expanding military cooperation between the two countries, which is set to impact the regional defence landscape and render regional power dynamics more balanced.

The past few months have witnessed a surge in contacts between defence officials in the two countries, reflecting their mutual desire to establish a vibrant military-to-military relationship.

The chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Khalifa, visited Turkey in May this year and met a host of Turkish defence officials, including his Turkish counterpart, Metin Gürak.

This was Lt. Gen. Khalifa's second visit to Turkey in six months, a frequency that serves as proof of Cairo's seriousness in exploring prospects for broadening military cooperation with Ankara.

Frequent visits by and meetings between defence officials from the two countries come as Egypt signals keen interest in Turkish defence products, including drones and missile systems.

This comes as Egypt attempts to diversify its military partnerships and sources of armaments, especially with the Arab country showing interest in reducing its dependence on Western sources, analysts said.

"The diversification of armaments' sources is a very important policy for Egypt," Gen. Rashid said. "We cannot keep depending on one or two states for our arms."

The Egyptian arms' diversification policy is driven by the hard lessons of the past, notably when Western sources failed Egypt at different difficult historical junctures.

The same policy underpins the expansion of Egyptian military cooperation and partnerships with non-Western sources, including Russia, China, and South Korea, even as the Egyptian military remains keen to maintain its active collaboration with its traditional Western suppliers.

The belief in Cairo, however, is that Turkey can be a less problematic arms source compared to China and Russia.

Apart from the TAI Kaan fighter jet, Egypt has shown interest in acquiring Turkish-made drones and various advanced defence products, such as the TRLG-230 missile, mini smart munitions, and the L-UMTAS anti-tank missile system.

Apart from interest in Turkish arms, Egypt is also cementing its cooperation with the Turkish army in another respect: joint training.

In April this year, Special Forces from the two countries conducted a joint military exercise in Ankara.

The training programme included a wide range of advanced combat and tactical activities, according to the militaries of the two countries.

The two countries also participated in an air exercise in Pakistan in October 2024, which brought together other countries, including Saudi Arabia.

Turning the page

Progress in military cooperation between Egypt and Turkey attests to the long way the two countries have gone since they started mending their fences.

This mending of fences followed a decade of tension, marked by ideological and geopolitical differences between the administrations of the two countries.

The government in Turkey embraces an Islamist ideology and has links with religious political movements in the region like the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt categorised as a "terrorist organisation".

The improving relations offer insights into the two countries' views on the significant opportunities entailed in accelerating their reconciliation and enhancing their cooperation, Turkish analysts said.

"Changing regional conditions make it necessary for the two countries to cooperate, especially when it comes to strategic matters," Turkish political analyst Firas Ridvan Oglu told TNA.

"The region is geared towards the formation of various axes that will leave out those who will not occupy their places in them," he added.

Egyptian-Turkish cooperation has been expanding over the years, even during times of tension between the two countries.

In 2023, Turkish investments in Egypt totalled $3 billion, but the two countries have plans to increase this figure manifold.

At the end of the same year, trade between the two countries reached $7.2 billion, and Turkish officials discussed plans to double this figure in the coming years.

Improving relations between the two countries has, meanwhile, opened the door to understanding in critical regional issues, including in Libya, where Cairo and Ankara used to compete for influence.

The two countries are also cooperating on Somalia, where both oppose the Horn of Africa country's fragmentation and work to help it overcome its security challenges.

This development comes amid the belief that the rapprochement between Cairo and Ankara will contribute to regional stability and serve strategic interests of both capitals in the coming period.

"This is why both countries need to stick to their strategic goals, even in the presence of some divergent interests," Oglu said.