The piece is described as, "Main load-carrying part on Forward Center Fuselage between Avionic bay and side weapon bay". It can be assumed that some parts of TF-X are almost finalised. The cockpit is one of them as it the dimensions must be fixed in order to manufacture the piece. The TF-X Project was initiated to meet the needs of the Turkish Air Force. The project aims to produce modern aircraft designed with domestic facilities and capabilities that can replace the F-16 aircraft in the inventory of the Command.
Within the scope of the TF-X Program, Turkey will become one of the few countries to possess the necessary technologies, engineering infrastructure and production capabilities. Once the engineering activities on all the critical technologies are accomplished (e.g. increased situational awareness, sensor fusion, low observability at the radar, internal weapon bay), which are needed by a 5th generation (or beyond) jet fighter aircraft. In this context, TF-X will leave the hangar in 2023, make its maiden flight in 2026 and be taken into inventory as of 2030.
TF-X aircraft is planned to be kept operational in the TurAF inventory until the 2070s and will be interoperable with other critical assets of TurAF.
The TF-X indigenous design and development program prime contract between the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) of the Ministry of Turkish National Defence and Turkish Aerospace was signed on the 5th of August 2016.
TF-X aircraft will be a multi-role aircraft, and it will be designed mainly for an air-to-air role with consideration to air-to-surface roles as well. Upon engineering analysis, preliminary calculations, based on received information of suppliers of candidate engines, TF-X aircraft is decided to be a twin-engine configuration.
