Turkey has taken another major step in the Hürjet program by conducting the first flight of a production-standard aircraft. The event signals the move toward serial production following several years of prototype testing and flight development.The aircraft remained airborne for approximately 18 minutes after completing final assembly, ground testing and the necessary pre-flight inspections. Unlike the two earlier development aircraft, this Hürjet represents a production-standard configuration intended to support the next stage of the program.The initial Hürjet prototype first flew on April 25, 2023, followed by the second prototype in November 2024. The two development aircraft have reportedly accumulated roughly 340 flights and 260 flight hours during the test campaign.Testing has included a variety of demanding activities. These have involved flights with the Turkish Stars aerobatic team, formation operations alongside the Anka-3 stealth drone prototype and evaluations at transonic and supersonic speeds.Turkish Aerospace has announced plans to expand the manufacturing rate to two aircraft per month after the production line becomes fully operational. The Turkish Air Force is scheduled to begin receiving Hürjet aircraft by the end of 2026, with the Turkish Stars expected to receive the first aircraft ahead of wider service entry.The Hürjet is a supersonic advanced jet trainer powered by the GE F404 afterburning turbofan. It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4 and is capable of reaching an altitude of 45,000 feet. Its range is approximately 1,060 nautical miles.Measuring 14 metres long with a 10-metre wingspan, the aircraft can carry a payload of up to 3,402 kilograms. Beyond its training role, the platform is designed to support weapons operations and is expected to be compatible with systems such as Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan air-to-air missiles, the SOM cruise missile, SARB-83 anti-concrete weapons and several guidance kits.
