I would say that the indigenous engine for KAAN to enter into production by 2040 will be a generous claim.
If you want to meet the schedule by 2030, then China's TOT will be indispensable.
Few points I want to make. bear with me.
China's development of indigenous engines for fighter jets has been a decades long effort
The process began in the 1980s amid technical challenges like materials science, reliability, and manufacturing precision. Key examples include the WS-10 (interim power for 4th-gen fighters) and WS-15 (advanced engine for 5th-gen J-20). These engines faced delays but progressed through testing, with serial production marking maturity.
China's engines took 20–30+ years due to starting from near-zero indigenous capability(which is very impressive lets not deny) in the 1980s, involving reverse-engineering and trial-and-error
Turkey's TF35000, starting in 2018 with modern tools and partnerships, projects a shorter ~14-year cycle to integration—faster but unproven, as it builds on recent gains like the TF10000 for drones.
TEI (TUSAŞ Engine Industries) uses digital twins to optimize designs, reducing trial-and-error cycles. Unlike China's early efforts lacked such tools, relying heavily on physical testing
3D printing and advanced machining enable rapid prototyping of complex components like turbine blades. Turkey, with access to global supply chains and partnerships (e.g., with Rolls-Royce for tech transfer), can produce high-precision parts faster than China could in the 1990s, when it struggled with single-crystal blade production for WS-15.
The TF35000 leverages modern alloys and composites (e.g., nickel-based superalloys, ceramic matrix composites) developed globally since the 2000s. China faced sanctions and export controls, forcing it to develop indigenous materials from scratch, delaying WS-15 until breakthroughs in the 2010s.
Turkey's collaboration with Rolls-Royce (via Kale Arge and later TRMotor) includes technology transfers for high-thrust turbofan components. Rolls-Royce’s experience with engines like the EJ200 (for Eurofighter Typhoon) provides Turkey with insights into supercruise-capable designs, bypassing decades of foundational research. For instance, TRMotor’s hybrid engine tests planned for 2029 leverage these inputs. While China was sanctioned by west and didn't have same opportunities as TF35000.
Turkey’s partnerships shave years off R&D by providing proven subsystems (e.g., control systems, combustors). China’s need to independently develop every component alloys to FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control), extended WS-15’s timeline by a decade or more.
TEI’s work on smaller engines like the TS1400 (for T625 Gökbey helicopter, first run 2021) and TF6000/TF10000 (for drones like Bayraktar Kızılelma) provides practical experience in turbofan design, testing, and production. These projects, though smaller, refined Turkey’s supply chain and workforce skills, enabling a faster scale-up to TF35000’s 35,000 lbf thrust.
Turkey benefits from open-source data, industry publications, and lessons from programs like the F135 (F-35) or EJ200. While proprietary details remain restricted, Turkey can study declassified or commercialized advancements, unlike China, which faced a knowledge embargo.
My conclusion China has down well for itself. But please lets not compare with Turkiye.
I will add that 2032 timeframe is a little too optimistic, I am thinking more 2035-ish
