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The first flight of the next prototype of the Turkish indigenous fighter aircraft Kaan has been pushed back toward the summer, Turkish Aerospace Industries CEO Mehmet Demiroglu says.

First flight of the P1 aircraft–the first to be built on the company’s assembly line and to be used for flight test development work–will now fly no later than June, Demiroglu told SavunmaSanayiST.com, a Turkish online media outlet.

Parts of the interview were published on social media on Jan. 23. Three prototypes are currently in production, with P1 originally due to fly in April, having been delayed from late 2025. The other two aircraft will follow shortly afterward.

“I believe it will fly in May, or at the latest in June,” Demiroglu said. “Of course, last-minute adjustments and delays are always possible in projects of this scale. However, I can say with confidence that we will see Kaan’s first flight prototype fly by June.”

No images have been released of P1 in assembly. But the aircraft is expected to feature several design changes compared to P0, an engineering prototype that was never originally envisioned to fly but made two flights in 2024.

Demiroglu has also confirmed that P0 will not fly again but is being used for ground and system-level testing.

In all, six prototypes are planned to support flight testing. The new prototypes are being built on a specially constructed Kaan assembly line. Several major component assemblies are being constructed vertically or upright, including the 14-m (46-ft.)-span, 3.3-metric-ton wing and center fuselage section. Demiroglu describes the project as the crown jewel project for Turkish Aerospace, in part because the program has also led to the creation of an “ecosystem” around it, he says.

Most of the aircraft components have been sourced locally, except for key systems such as the ejection seat and engines. The prototypes are expected to use the General Electric F110 engine until an indigenous powerplant is ready in the 2030s.

Turkish Aerospace’s plan calls for the first 20-40 aircraft to use the F110 until the domestic engine, known as TF35000, is ready to be integrated. The engine is being developed jointly by TUSAS (the Turkish acronym for Turkish Aerospace Industries) Engine Industries) and TRMotor.

The Turkish air force wants the twin-engine, 34-metric-ton fighter to replace its large fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16s in the coming years. The first batch of around 20 aircraft would reach Turkish Air Force service in 2029, although that timeline looks increasingly in doubt as delays mount.