US notifies Congress of $700 million engine sale to Turkey for KAAN fighter

The Trump administration formally notified Congress on June 24, 2026, of its intention to sell dozens of General Electric F110 turbofan engines to Turkey in a package valued at more than $700 million, according to a State Department notification seen by Reuters. 

The move advances a sale that had met resistance from several Democratic lawmakers over Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian S-400 air defense system and is timed ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara scheduled for July 2026. 

Engines for KAAN 

Dimir / Wikimedia Commons

The F110 engines are intended to power Turkey’s KAAN indigenous fighter jet, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).  

TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) already assembles F110s under license in Turkey for the Turkish Air Force F-16 fleet, the third-largest in the world, but the powerplant remains subject to US export licensing controls. An initial batch of approximately 80 engines is required to sustain KAAN flight testing and low-rate production. 

Turkish officials have long planned to eventually transition the KAAN to a domestically developed powerplant, the TEI TF35000, though that engine remains years from operational maturity. 

Congressional opposition 

Congress has 15 days from formal notification to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval blocking the sale. Any such resolution would require passage in both chambers and could be vetoed by Trump. 

Several Democrats signaled opposition. Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, had raised objections during the prior informal review and not given clearance for the package. Representative Dina Titus of Nevada said she would introduce a joint resolution of disapproval if the administration moved forward. Representative Chris Pappas of New Hampshire said Ankara should not be rewarded while it continues to hold the S-400s. 

S-400 and the F-35 question 

Turkey acquired the Russian S-400 air defense system in 2019, prompting Washington to impose CAATSA sanctions and remove Ankara from the F-35 program. Congress later passed legislation prohibiting F-35 sales as long as Turkey retains the systems. 

Whether that prohibition could be lifted has become a parallel point of contention. On June 24, 2026, Vice President JD Vance said the administration was reviewing the F-35 question, noting that certain legal certifications would first need to be satisfied. Speaking the same day, Trump said of Ankara: “I’m going to probably do something that will make them very happy.” 

The engine notification comes as Turkey has been broadening its fighter options, including a deal signed in October 2025 for 20 Eurofighter Typhoons, and as the KAAN program secured its first export customer after Indonesia contracted for 48 aircraft in July 2025. 

Spain has also emerged as a potential future prospect for the KAAN. In May 2026, TAI CEO Mehmet Demiroglu confirmed to Spanish defense outlet Infodefensa that preliminary government-to-government contacts regarding a potential sale to Spain had taken place, describing them as being “in the initial stages.” No formal process has been launched, and Spanish authorities have made no public statement on the matter. The post US notifies Congress of $700 million engine sale to Turkey for KAAN fighter appeared first on AeroTime.

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