The first HÜRJET fighter destined for the Turkish Air Force completed its maiden flight on 30 August, coinciding with the 104th anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates the great victory achieved in 1922 by the Turkish army under the command of Atatürk against the invading Greek forces at the Battle of Dumlupınar, which brought the Turkish War of Independence to an end.
Developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI/TUSAŞ) under the coordination of the Presidency of Defence Industries of the Republic of Turkey, the first HÜRJET to be delivered to the Turkish Air Force Command successfully completed its maiden flight yesterday, according to several Turkish media outlets.
The first HÜRJET aircraft destined for the Air Force
Following the completion of assembly work on the first aircraft to be delivered to the Air Force, ground and taxiing tests were carried out. With the preliminary preparations complete, the maiden flight finally took place yesterday and the HÜRJET trainer aircraft remained airborne for 18 minutes, accompanied by the first prototype, which had made its first successful flight in 2023.
The chairman of Turkish Defence Industries, Haluk Görgün, highlighted yesterday’s maiden flight on his social media: “We have taken our HÜRJET into the skies on the 104th anniversary of the Great Victory. The first HÜRJET to be delivered to our Air Force Command successfully completed its maiden flight following ground and taxiing tests. The determination that led our desire for independence to victory continues to give wings to our national aviation today. I would like to thank our Air Force Command, the TUSAŞ team, our engineers, technicians and all those involved who contributed to this source of pride”.
The HÜRJET programme, ready for series production
In addition to the prototypes used in flight and development tests, trials of the HÜRJET light fighter aircraft and the mass production of the aircraft are continuing as planned under the programme, according to the Turkish press.
The HÜRJET programme, launched in 2017, reached a key milestone with the aircraft’s maiden flight on 25 April 2023. During flight tests carried out with two prototypes, the HÜRJET demonstrated its supersonic flight capability by reaching speeds of Mach 1.4, which aroused great interest both at home and abroad. Spain was the first country to acquire the HÜRJET fighter to replace its ageing fleet of F-5s, used for training and support flights.
Since then, work on the mass production process has accelerated. Test flights and system verification continue to be carried out using two prototype aircraft, whilst work on the mass production and assembly of the HÜRJETs in their delivery configuration continues simultaneously.
Latest developments in the KAAN fighter jet programme
Meanwhile, the new Turkish fifth-generation KAAN fighter has also entered a new phase of development, according to TAI’s Director-General, Mehmet Demiroğlu, who announced that the third prototype of the fighter aircraft will carry out its first weapons tests in 2027, marking a significant step towards full operational capability.
Demiroğlu stated in this regard that the KAAN has reached a considerable level of maturity in terms of its aerodynamic performance, although further adjustments and minor improvements may be necessary based on the results of the tests.
Specifications of the Turkish Hürjet jet trainer
- Crew: two people
- Length: 13.6 m
- Wingspan: 9.5 m
- Height: 5.1 m
- Wing area: 25 m²
- Payload: 2,721 kg
- Powerplant: 1× F404-GE-102 turbofan with afterburner
- Thrust: 78 kN (17,700 lbf)
- Maximum operating speed: 1.4 Mach
- Range: 2,222 km
- Service ceiling: 13,716 m (45,000 feet)
- Climb rate: 200 m/s
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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