News
Reported U.S. F110 Engine Sale Would Support Turkey's KAAN Fighter
Defense reporting says the Trump administration is preparing to clear a major F110 turbofan sale for Turkey's KAAN fighter, linking the engine to the F-16 and F-15EX fleets already documented in the catalog.
Timeline
Key Events
KAAN Program Begins
TWZ says Turkey launched the fighter program that became KAAN, setting up a long-running effort to field an indigenous combat aircraft.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report
F-35 Break Complicates Engine Access
Turkey's acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system led to its removal from the F-35 program, and TWZ describes the F110 engine question as becoming more difficult after that break in U.S.-Turkish defense relations.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report, Reuters Turkey Jet Engine Sale
KAAN Prototype Flies And F-16 Package Advances
TWZ reports that KAAN's first prototype flew in early 2024 and notes that the U.S. State Department approved a possible sale of new F-16C/D Block 70 fighters and F-16V upgrade kits to Turkey in early 2024.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report
Initial KAAN Contract Reported
TWZ says a contract was reportedly signed for 20 initial KAAN Block 10 aircraft, increasing the importance of securing a near-term powerplant for the program.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report
U.S. Engine Sale Reported
Reuters reported that the Trump administration planned to move ahead with a more-than-$700 million General Electric engine package for KAAN, and TWZ followed with an analysis of how the expected F110 sale would affect Turkey's fighter plans.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report, Reuters Turkey Jet Engine Sale
Reported Engine Sale
TWZ reported on June 25, 2026 that the Trump administration was set to clear a long-awaited transfer of General Electric F110 turbofan engines for Turkey's KAAN fighter program. The article, citing Reuters reporting, framed the sale as a politically important U.S.-Turkey defense move ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey.
Reuters, in a report republished by Investing.com, said the administration planned to move ahead with the sale of dozens of General Electric jet engines worth more than $700 million despite objections from some members of Congress. Both reports describe the engines as intended to power Turkey's first indigenous combat jet, KAAN.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report, Reuters Turkey Jet Engine Sale
Why The F110 Matters
The F110 is the cataloged system at the center of the story: an afterburning fighter turbofan used across U.S.-designed combat aircraft. GE identifies the F110 family with advanced F-15 and F-16 applications, and the catalog links the engine to the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15EX Eagle II pages for readers who want the platform context.
For KAAN, the issue is not just propulsion hardware but export control. TWZ reported that F110s are assembled under license in Turkey by TUSAS Engine Industries, while still remaining subject to U.S. export restrictions. That makes a U.S. decision on the engine package a practical gate for the near-term KAAN program.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report, F110 Engine
Aircraft Context
The article also connects the F110 story to Turkey's existing fighter inventory and the wider F-35 dispute. TWZ noted that Turkish F-16s already use the F110 in significant numbers, while Reuters tied the engine sale to broader U.S.-Turkey friction after Turkey was removed from the F-35 program over its S-400 acquisition.
This article links the F110 engine, F-16, and F-15EX catalog pages because those records already document the engine and its published aircraft relationships. KAAN is discussed here as the reported destination program for the engines, but it is not linked as a catalog weapon page because no published KAAN entry exists in the catalog yet.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report, Reuters Turkey Jet Engine Sale, F110 Engine
What Is Still Pending
The public reports describe an expected or planned sale, not a completed delivery. TWZ said the deal was expected to be finalized and followed by formal State Department notification to Congress, while Reuters reported that the State Department declined to comment.
That sourcing limit matters for readers: the article documents the reported U.S. move toward clearing the F110 package and the policy context around Turkey's fighter plans, but it does not establish that the engines have already been delivered or installed in production KAAN aircraft.
Sources: TWZ F110 KAAN Sale Report, Reuters Turkey Jet Engine Sale