Turkey's first production Hürjet trainer completes maiden flight

August 30, 2026 at 08:03 PM2 min

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The first production Hürjet advanced jet trainer built for the Turkish Air Force completed its maiden flight on August 30, 2026. The aircraft remained airborne for 18 minutes, marking the start of flight testing for the first aircraft in the configuration intended for operational delivery. The flight follows the completion of final assembly, ground testing and taxi tests.

Key Facts

The first production Hürjet remained airborne for 18 minutes on August 30, 2026.
Hürjet is powered by a General Electric F404 afterburning turbofan producing approximately 17,700 pounds of thrust.
The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, and a published range of 1,060 nautical miles.
Spain plans to acquire 30 Hürjets to replace its ageing F-5 training fleet.
The Hürjet program was launched in 2017, with the first prototype making its maiden flight on April 25, 2023.

Maiden Flight

The first production Hürjet advanced jet trainer built for the Turkish Air Force completed its maiden flight on August 30, 2026. The aircraft remained airborne for 18 minutes. The flight followed the completion of final assembly, ground testing and taxi tests. While the first two Hürjet aircraft have been used for development and flight testing, production aircraft are now being assembled in the configuration planned for Turkish Air Force service.

Aircraft Specifications

Developed by Turkish Aerospace, Hürjet is a single-engine, tandem-seat supersonic aircraft designed primarily for advanced and lead-in fighter training. It is powered by a General Electric F404 afterburning turbofan producing approximately 17,700 pounds of thrust. The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, and a published range of 1,060 nautical miles. It is designed to withstand +8g and -3g loads and can carry up to 7,500 pounds of external payload. The combination of supersonic performance, high-g maneuverability and modern avionics places Hürjet in the advanced training category alongside aircraft such as the Leonardo M-346 and KAI T-50.

Program Status and Export

The Hürjet program was launched in 2017, with the first prototype making its maiden flight on April 25, 2023. Two prototypes have since been used for the flight-test campaign, including testing of the aircraft’s transonic and supersonic performance. The first production aircraft will now undergo further flight testing and verification before delivery to the Turkish Air Force. Spain has selected the aircraft as part of its new combat training system and plans to acquire 30 Hürjets to replace its ageing F-5 training fleet.