Türkiye’s homegrown light attack aircraft Hürjet, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), was showcased Tuesday at the Egypt International Airshow, hosted by the country’s Defense Ministry.
The Hürjet craft performed in the air for 10 minutes at the El Alamein International Airport near Alexandria, where the event took place.
The airshow brought together senior executives and government officials from the defense, space and commercial aviation sectors in Africa and the Middle East.
In addition to Hürjet, TAI displayed its indigenous combat aircraft KAAN, the T129 ATAK helicopter and the unmanned aerial vehicle Aksungur.
The Turkish defense firm’s project for Türkiye’s first-ever jet-powered supersonic trainer aircraft Hürjet began in 2017.
The Hürjet project was initiated to replace the Turkish army’s T-38 aircraft used in training and the F-5 aircraft used in aerobatic team flights and to meet the needs of potential international customers.
The jet conducted its inaugural flight in April last year and ever since, work has been underway to prepare it to become a new addition to the Turkish Air Force by 2025.
Advanced jet trainer aircraft Hürjet consists of a single engine, tandem-seat with modern avionics and high-performance features, and fulfills a critical role in modern pilot training through its superior performance characteristics, according to its developer.
Recent media reports indicated Spain’s interest in Hürjet, noting advanced talks were reportedly underway for a potential aircraft swap.
The proposal on the table includes an exchange of 24 Turkish Hürjet training aircraft for six Spanish A400M transport aircraft, according to reports from Global Defense News and the Turkish daily Hürriyet. This development comes as Spain seeks to replace its Northrop Grumman F-5M training aircraft, whose operational life is set to end by 2030.
Turkish Aerospace Industries in a social media post on Tuesday reported “great interest” at its stand in Egypt.
Egypt International Airshow is held between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5, featuring a wide range of activities and events, including static aircraft and flying displays.
