Turkey’s Defense Industry Executive Committee announced the decision to move on with the first phase of mass-producing the TAI Hürjet.
The production of the first aircraft is due to begin this year. The rollout of the jet is scheduled for 2023.
The news was announced in a committee meeting on January 12, 2021, AA reports. The Hürjet was mentioned among other defense projects that included a selection of domestically-produced weapons for Turkey’s air, naval and land forces.
The Hürjet, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), is a single-engine supersonic advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, similar to the Boeing T-7, the KAI T-50 and the Yakovlev Yak-130.
It is said to have a maximum speed of Mach 1.4 and a range of 2,222 km (1,20 nmi). Two variants are in the plans: an advanced trainer, poised to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon in the service of the Turkish Air Force, as well as a light combat aircraft, capable of carrying a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions.
Turkey has already offered the Hürjet for Malaysia’s light fighter jet tender, where it competes with the HAL Tejas, the KAI FA-50 and Leonardo’s M-346.