The Turkish defence industry is overcoming one of the most critical technological thresholds in the National Combat Aircraft KAAN project. Ergün Kırlıkovalı, the Turkish scientist who developed the stealth materials for the world's most advanced stealth aircraft such as the F-35 and B-2, has announced that they have produced a special material for KAAN. Kırlıkovalı officially confirmed that they are working on a brand new radar-absorbent material together with TAI engineers and two different universities. Consequently, this strategic move completely eliminates foreign dependency in Türkiye's fifth-generation fighter jet production.
Radar-Absorbent Material (RAM)
The most significant feature distinguishing a fifth-generation fighter jet from previous generations is its low radar cross-section (RCS). Aerospace engineers do not achieve this stealth capability solely through the aircraft's aerodynamic design. The Radar-Absorbent Material (RAM) applied to the aircraft's fuselage forms the most vital part of this stealth architecture.
Ergün Kırlıkovalı and the TAI team are developing this special polymer layer that will cover KAAN's exterior completely from scratch. When electromagnetic waves from enemy radars hit the aircraft, this special coating essentially absorbs the waves rather than reflecting them. The material converts the radar energy into heat at a microscopic level, dissipating it into the air. Thus, enemy air defence systems cannot see the aircraft on their radar screens. Moreover, this new-generation material must also exhibit extraordinary physical resistance to the frictional heat at high speeds and challenging weather conditions.
Who is Ergün Kırlıkovalı, Who Developed the Stealth Material for the F-35 and B-2?
Born in Izmir in 1952, Ergün Kırlıkovalı is a Turkish materials engineer and scientist who became a legend in the global defence and aviation industry. After graduating from Boğaziçi University's Chemistry Department, he completed his master's degree in Polymer Science at the University of Manchester and settled in the United States in 1978. As the founder of California-based Integrated Polymer Industries (IPI), Kırlıkovalı revolutionised stealth technologies, which are a monopoly of only a few countries in the world, and personally developed the radar-absorbent (RAM) flexible polymer coatings used on the American B-2 Spirit bomber and F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.
Having risen to the position of being the Pentagon's sole supplier for many years with these high-tech and strategic formulas he developed, Kırlıkovalı is now mobilising his unique global experience in advanced materials science and polymer chemistry through joint laboratory work with TAI for the domestic stealth armour of Türkiye's fifth-generation fighter jet, the National Combat Aircraft KAAN.
University-Industry Collaboration
Stealth technologies are monopolised by only a few countries in the world. No country ever shares these critical coating formulas with another. Therefore, Türkiye is producing its own strategic armour for the KAAN project.
Ergün Kırlıkovalı also clearly shared the research method they are applying while carrying out the project. The TAI team determines the technical specifications of the required material and directly calls out to universities. TAI management selects the best two universities from among the academic institutions that respond positively to this call. Then, industry and academia join forces and begin laboratory work. This method not only develops a product but also directly integrates Türkiye's academic human resources in the field of aviation into the practical domain.
Absolute Deterrence in the Sky
A specialist with global experience like Ergün Kırlıkovalı working with TAI takes the engineering depth of the KAAN project to its peak. Engineers are now using this unique knowledge, gained from the F-35 and B-2 projects, directly for the future of the Turkish Air Force.
TAI aims to successfully integrate this new material into KAAN prototypes in the coming years. Thus, our aircraft will gain the capability to infiltrate deep into enemy territory undetected. Türkiye is transforming into an absolute technology giant producing a radar-invisible fifth-generation fighter jet with one hundred percent domestic materials.
