What Is TUSAŞ HÜRJET? Turkey’s New Supersonic Trainer Eyes Both the Classroom and the Battlefield
Turkey’s aging fleet of T-38 Talon jet trainers has served the Turkish Air Force for decades, but a replacement has been in the works since TUSAŞ broke ground on the HÜRJET program. On April 25, 2023, that aircraft flew for the first time, breaking Mach 1 and climbing past 45,000 feet during flight trials — an emphatic declaration that Turkey can build a supersonic jet trainer on its own terms.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 13.6 m (44.9 ft) |
| Wingspan | 9.5 m (31.2 ft) |
| Height | 4.1 m (13.5 ft) |
| Max Speed | Mach 1.4 |
| Service Ceiling | 45,000 ft |
| Climb Rate | 48,500 fpm |
| Range | 1,060 nautical miles |
| External Payload | 7,500 lbs |
| Engine | GE F404-104 — 17,700 lbs thrust |
| G-Limits | +8 / -3 G |
Plugging the Training Gap
Advanced jet training is the most critical and least visible part of building a combat air force. Pilots need to experience supersonic flight, high-G manoeuvring and complex avionics management before they ever sit in a front-line fighter. The T-38 handled that transition for Turkish pilots for years — but its structural and avionics limitations are increasingly apparent against the demands of operating F-16s and, eventually, KAAN. HÜRJET was designed to close that gap with a platform that can take pilots from subsonic basics to supersonic transition and adversary simulation in a single airframe.
More than 150 test flights have been completed. A second prototype took its first flight in November 2024, and TUSAŞ is targeting delivery to the Turkish Air Force in 2026.
Not Just a Trainer: The Light Attack Angle
HÜRJET’s 7,500-pound external payload capacity — spread across multiple hardpoints — opens up a secondary mission set that pure trainers cannot perform. Laser-guided munitions, guided bombs and reconnaissance pods can all be hung on those stations, turning the aircraft into a cost-effective light attack and forward air control platform. This dual-role capability is a significant selling point for export customers who need to train pilots and conduct operations without maintaining two separate fleets.
From Ankara to the Pyramids
One of the most striking early appearances of HÜRJET came at Egypt’s Cairo International Air Show, where the aircraft flew a trans-Mediterranean leg from Turkey before performing a demonstration pass over the Giza Pyramids. That kind of early international debut — before Turkish Air Force deliveries had even begun — signals where TUSAŞ sees the market. Countries looking for a supersonic trainer unburdened by export conditions have very few options; HÜRJET is positioning itself to be one of them.
