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| Turkey's Prototype Hurjet Training Fighter Ready to Fly for the First Time in March 2023 |
Ankara - Apart from building the first prototype of the TF-X fifth generation fighter jet, the Turkiye aerospace company, TUSAS (Turkish Aerospace Industries) is also completing the manufacture of a prototype of its Hurjet trainer fighter jet. Hurjet's maiden flight will be carried out on March 18, 2023 and the first handover to the Turkiye Air Force Command is targeted for 2025, said TUSAŞ General Manager Prof. Dr. Temel Kotil in a statement to Turkiye media.
The Hurjet (Hurkus Jet, Hurkus means free bird) was developed in two variants, namely the advanced training version (AJT) and the light attack version (LAA). Hurjet AJT will be used as a pilot transition before flying 5th generation fighter jets such as the F-35 and TF-X.
Read Also: Turkiye's Prototype 5th Generation TF-X Fighter Jet Nearly Completed
Meanwhile, the Hurjet LAA (Hurjet-C) will be used as a CAS (close air support) aircraft whose role is currently performed by the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon jet.
Regarding the specifications, the Hurjet has a body length of 13 m, a wingspan of 9.8 m and a height of 4.2 m. Like the TF-X, it is reported that the Hurjet prototype will also use a turbofan engine made by General Electric from the United States. The engine is an F404-GE-102 afterburning turbofan, with a power of 79 kN. This engine is also used on the KAI T-50 and Boeing T-7A trainer jets.
As for performance, the Hurjet is described as having a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, a flight altitude of up to 13,700 m, and a range of 2,592 km. The Hurjet's cockpit adopts a single large multifunction integrated modular (OMIM) display, where the pilot can view sensor video displays, digital maps, and other intelligent multifunction features.
As mentioned above, the Hurjet AJT will enter service for the Turkiye Air Force from 2025, and will gradually replace the role of Northrop's T-38 Talon trainer jet.