Türkiye unveils new look for HÜRJET trainer aircraft VIDEO

The second prototype of Türkiye's HÜRJET advanced trainer and light combat aircraft, developed by Turkish aerospace company TUSAŞ, has taken to the skies in a new paint scheme.

“We are flying towards the future with the determination and focus of Türkiye’s defence industry. I congratulate everyone who contributed, especially the TUSAŞ family. We are taking confident steps toward our ambitious goals!” the company stated, Caliber.Az reports, citing the company’s message on X.

Dalgalan sen de şafaklar gibi ey şanlı hilal! 🇹🇷

HÜRJET’in ikinci prototipi yeni boyasıyla gökyüzüne havalandı! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/ZRWbxlBmkH

— Türk Havacılık Uzay Sanayii (@TUSAS_TR) November 21, 2024

The HÜRJET, which first powered up its engine on February 2, 2023, made its inaugural flight on April 25, 2023. Since then, it has completed over 100 test flights. In its latest trials, the aircraft reached an altitude of 45,000 feet (13,700 metres) and a speed of Mach 0.9. Moreover, the HÜRJET is expected to initially replace the Turkish Air Force's T-38 trainers and the F-5 aircraft which are used in aerobatic performances.

Turkish Aerospace was established on June 28, 1973, under the Ministry of Industry and Technology to reduce Türkiye's reliance on foreign sources in the defence sector.

In 1984, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) was formed as a joint Turkish-American venture for 25 years, with the primary goal of manufacturing F-16 fighter jets, integrating onboard systems, and conducting flight tests to meet the Turkish Air Force's needs.

Before the conclusion of this 25-year period, Turkish Aerospace underwent a restructuring in 2005, when Turkish shareholders bought out the foreign stakes. This restructuring led to the merger of TAI and TUSAŞ under the umbrella of Turkish Aerospace Inc. The organisation expanded its scope and emerged as Türkiye's central hub for the development, modernisation, manufacturing, system integration, and lifecycle support of aviation and space industry systems.

By Naila Huseynova