First serial HÜRJET jet completes maiden flight

The first production-standard HÜRJET jet trainer, distinct from the program’s two earlier flight-test prototypes, completed its maiden flight on Victory Day, August 30, marking the transition from prototype testing to a working production line for the Turkish Air Force, according to a social media announcement.

The HÜRJET is a single-engine, tandem-seat supersonic jet trainer built by Turkish Aerospace Industries, designed to replace the Turkish Air Force’s aging T-38 and F-5 aircraft. The jet is capable of Mach 1.4 with a service ceiling of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters), and is powered by a single General Electric F404 engine, the same engine family used on the F/A-18 Hornet.

The program has been in development since 2017. The first prototype made its maiden flight on April 25, 2023, followed by a second prototype in November 2024. Between them, the two prototypes have logged around 340 test flights and nearly 260 flight hours, according to Turkish state media reports cited by Daily Sabah. During testing, the aircraft has flown demonstration flights with the Turkish Stars aerobatic team and in formation with the Anka-3 stealth drone prototype, and it has also completed transonic and supersonic test flights.

Turkish Aerospace has said it plans to ramp up its production line to two aircraft per month once serial manufacturing is fully underway. First deliveries to the Turkish Air Force are targeted for the end of 2026, with initial jets going to the Turkish Stars aerobatic display team before wider fleet deliveries follow.

Spain has agreed to purchase 30 HÜRJET aircraft, marking Turkey’s first jet trainer export sale to a fellow NATO member. Turkish Aerospace CEO Mehmet Demiroglu told Spanish outlet El Español that a final supply contract covering roughly 45 aircraft, intended to replace Spain’s own aging F-5 fleet, is expected soon, with an estimated value of $3.6 billion. Spanish deliveries are targeted for 2028, a year after the Turkish Air Force is expected to begin receiving its own production aircraft. The memorandum of understanding covering the Spanish deal was signed in 2025 between Turkish Aerospace, Spain’s Ministry of Defense and Airbus, on the sidelines of Spain’s FEINDEF defense exhibition.

Turkish Aerospace is also developing light attack and naval variants of the HÜRJET. The aircraft has previously been discussed as a possible candidate for operations from the Turkish Navy’s TCG Anadolu, a hybrid assault ship and drone carrier, though further specifications and timelines for the naval or light attack configurations have not been disclosed.

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