Turkey in the next two months will fully unveil Hürjet, the country’s domestically-developed advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft. The producing company, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), aims to produce two of the aircraft each month after 2025, the TAI head said Monday.
Temel Kotil said that four prototypes will be built first and they will be used during the flight tests.
"We aim to build six to seven aircraft in the first year in the mass production phase and to produce two aircraft per month and 24 aircraft per year from the next year.
"After 2025, two Hürjets will leave the hangar and will be delivered to the customer every month," he said.
Turkey’s Defense Industry Executive Committee last week approved the first-phase mass production of the Hürjet.
Answering questions about the light attack aircraft tender held in Malaysia, in which Hürjet also participated, Kotil said their aircraft is a rival to aircraft that have been flying for a long time.
However, he said, "engineering software is much more capable now, they have evolved. Things are easier with artificial intelligence, and thus there is no need for history."
"We trust Hürjet. We compete with everyone, we participate in every tender," he said.
Expressing that Turkey is now seen as a reference point in the global defense industry, Kotil stated that with the work they are carrying out, they also train engineers who will continue their work across the sector.
Hürjet is developed and produced with the latest technologies to compete with its rivals, Kotil said.
The Hürjet project was initially kicked off by the TAI in 2017 and is expected to make a maiden flight in 2023.
Hürjet, tailored to become a fifth-generation training aircraft, will be equipped with an advanced mission computer in its modern cockpit.
The aircraft will be supplied with superior radar and sensitive attack systems, and with air and ground communication capabilities, reducing threats and risks.
Hürjet will be 13.4 meters (43 feet) long with a wingspan of 11 meters and will provide environmental security in offensive operations.
The main aim of the Hürjet project is to replace the Turkish Air Force's T-38 trainer aircraft fleet – consisting of 70 aircraft – and to meet the needs of potential international customers.
The advanced jet’s maximum altitude is set at 45,000 feet (14 kilometers), along with its 3,000-kilogram (6,600-pound) payload and a maximum speed of Mach 1.2.