Early 2027 is now the date TEI has given to put its TF6000 turbofan into the hands of Baykar and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) for pre‑integration testing, the company’s chief executive Mahmut F. Akşit told TRHaber.
TEI, Baykar, and TUSAŞ set a concrete pre‑integration milestone
Mahmut F. Akşit said TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI) plans to supply engine prototypes to Baykar and TUSAŞ early in 2027 so each platform maker can run pre‑integration tests. Those tests are intended to confirm airworthiness against the aircraft-makers’ requirements before any first airframe integration. TEI’s handing of engines to the airframers is presented as a distinct step from the company’s own bench testing: it gives Baykar and TUSAŞ the chance to verify the TF6000 against their platforms and to decide, in each firm’s judgment, whether the engine is flight‑ready.
The TF6000 core, and the afterburning TF10000 plan
TEI describes the TF6000 as a low‑bypass turbofan rated at roughly 6,000 lbf of thrust. The company is also developing an afterburning variant from the same core, the TF10000, which TEI intends to deliver about 10,000 lbf with afterburner to support the supersonic KIZILELMA that Baykar has said it wants to field. Akşit called the TF6000 a “successful design” that had reached “good power levels.”
The TF6000 first ran in March 2024 and was run publicly at Teknofest in 2025, where it reached roughly 5,900 lbf — close to its target. As of Akşit’s comments, however, the TF6000 has not yet flown in either of its intended aircraft; the timing of first flights hinges on how the 2027 pre‑integration tests go and on the airframers’ decisions about flight readiness.
Replacing imported Ivchenko‑Progress powerplants and removing a chokepoint
The ANKA‑3 and early KIZILELMA prototypes have flown on imported Ivchenko‑Progress engines from Ukraine — the AI‑25TLT and the afterburning AI‑322F. TEI and others framed the TF6000’s purpose in part as removing that foreign supply chokepoint. The source characterizes the supply as exposed by the war, and notes that a domestically built turbofan, if it proves out, would take a foreign chokepoint out of two programs Ankara wants to push into serial production.
What this means for Baykar, TUSAŞ, and Indonesia
- Baykar: The company will run the TF6000 through its own pre‑integration tests and will fly it only if it judges the engine ready; Baykar has also already lined up an export customer, having agreed at SAHA 2026 to supply Indonesia with up to 60 KIZILELMA, which raises the stakes on a dependable domestic engine.
- TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industries): As the other intended platform integrator for the ANKA‑3, TUSAŞ will similarly test the TF6000 on its own timeline and must confirm airworthiness before committing to full airframe integration.
- Indonesia: The export agreement for up to 60 KIZILELMA increases the commercial pressure for a reliable, cleared powerplant; TEI said foreign interest in the engine surfaced before development was even finished.
Broader propulsion ambitions and commercial ripple effects
TEI positions the TF6000 core as a foundation for further propulsion work across weight classes. The same architecture is being cited as the basis for future turboshaft engines, marine gas turbines for warships, and turbine generators. The company also points to a larger family of designs — including the larger TF35000 for the KAAN fighter and smaller turboshaft projects — that together represent a concerted push to build domestic propulsion capability.
For now, the record is procedural: TEI has set a date to hand engines to the airframers and the teams behind ANKA‑3 and KIZILELMA have a calendar point to work toward. Whether the TF6000 becomes the long‑term powerplant for those platforms will depend on the 2027 pre‑integration tests and the airframers’ subsequent judgments about flight readiness — the concrete next step identified by Akşit’s announcement.
Source: Quwa — How a New Domestic Turbofan Hopes to Break a Critical Chokepoint for the KIZILELMA
