First production Hürjet trainer completes maiden flight for Turkish Air Force

The first Hürjet built to the configuration meant for operational service has made its first flight. Developed by Turkish Aerospace, the aircraft stayed airborne for 18 minutes on August 30, 2026, after final assembly, ground checks and taxi trials were completed.

Two earlier Hürjet airframes had already flown as part of development and flight testing. This latest aircraft marks the move toward series production for delivery to the Turkish Air Force.

Hürjet is a single-engine, tandem-seat supersonic jet built mainly for advanced pilot training, meant to bridge the gap between basic jet instruction and frontline fighter types. It's powered by a General Electric F404 afterburning turbofan rated at roughly 17,700 pounds of thrust, giving it a top speed of Mach 1.4 and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet. Its published range is 1,060 nautical miles. The airframe is rated to withstand loads from +8g to -3g and can carry as much as 7,500 pounds of external payload.

With supersonic capability and modern avionics, Hürjet sits in a training category that also includes the Leonardo M-346 and the Korea Aerospace Industries T-50. Unlike the subsonic M-346, though, it can exceed the speed of sound. Turkish Aerospace is also working on a light-combat version, extending the type's role beyond training.

For the Turkish Air Force, Hürjet is meant to replace the T-38, a twin-engine supersonic trainer that first flew in 1959 and is still in service for advanced instruction. The type has also been mentioned as a possible future replacement for the F-5 aircraft flown by the Turkish Stars aerobatic display team.