Turkey Working With Rolls-Royce On Combat Aircraft Engine

The top body of Turkey’s defense industry has started cooperating with British Rolls-Royce on the engine to power the country’s National Combat Aircraft (MMU).

The head of the authority said this on Saturday in a televised program on CNN.

The TF-X MMU, which is a fifth-generation jet with similar features to Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II, is being developed by the local defense industry with the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as the main contractor.

Ismail Demir, head of the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) noted: “We also had the possibility of working with Rolls-Royce for the engine."

“We previously had some concerns about this cooperation, however, the company resolved these concerns as a result of the meetings held."

Demir had back in March 2021, stated that the British company didn't have an engine for this particular aircraft and that the company was offering to develop an engine for the MMU with a partnership it established in Turkey.