Türkiye began Monday deliveries of its domestically developed Hürkuş trainer aircraft to the Turkish Air Forces Command, with the first two planes entering service following the completion of acceptance tests.
A total of 12 additional Hürkuş aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2026, while all 55 planes ordered are planned to be delivered by the end of 2028, according to Haluk Görgün, head of Türkiye's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
The first two Hürkuş-II aircraft were formally handed over at a ceremony at Turkish Aerospace Industries' (TAI) facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara.
"This is a historic day for Turkish aviation," Görgün said at the ceremony, adding that Türkiye had, for the first time, entrusted a domestically developed manned aircraft to its own pilots.
With its modern avionics, performance and maneuverability, Hürkuş is expected to help develop the flight skills of trainee pilots while providing a common training foundation for Türkiye's next generation of locally developed combat aircraft.
Görgün said the final test flight before delivery had been conducted about two weeks earlier. "We confidently say that we have built the best aircraft in its class," he said, referring to the aircraft's flight performance and engineering capabilities.
Designed to support Hürjet, Kaan training
The Hürkuş's cockpit and avionics architecture were designed to be compatible with other domestically developed aircraft, including the Hürjet advanced trainer and fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet, Görgün said.
The common architecture is intended to make the transition easier for pilots moving to more advanced platforms, allowing them to work with upgraded versions of systems they are already familiar with.
The project has also helped build Türkiye's engineering capabilities in the design, development, testing and integration of manned aircraft, Görgün said.
He said approximately 23,000 hours of testing were carried out during the Hürkuş development process, including ground, laboratory and system-integration work.
The aircraft received military type certification to international standards on Sept. 9, marking another milestone for Türkiye's ability to test and certify an aircraft domestically, Görgün said.
Export ambitions
Alongside basic pilot training, Hürkuş can also perform light-attack and close-air-support missions, making it a multipurpose platform for international markets, Görgün said.
Several countries from different regions have expressed interest in the aircraft, he added, citing demand for hundreds of planes in the basic trainer market.
"We will soon start sharing export news about Hürkuş," Görgün said, without identifying potential customers.
The aircraft is being produced with a localization rate approaching 80%, with Turkish Aerospace Industries as the prime contractor and contributions from companies including Aselsan and Havelsan.
Görgün said the use of domestically developed subsystems and software would also facilitate the integration of Turkish-made munitions.
Order increased
The Hürkuş procurement program initially covered 15 aircraft but was expanded by 40 additional aircraft to a total of 55, Görgün said.
"We plan to see Hürkuş fleets in the Turkish Air Force in 2027 and to have all 55 aircraft in the Air Force inventory by the end of 2028," he said.
TAI CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu described the aircraft as a milestone for Türkiye's fixed-wing aviation capabilities, saying engineering expertise gained through Hürkuş had been transferred to subsequent projects including Hürjet and Kaan.
Air force Commander Gen. Rafet Dalkıran said Hürkuş would play an important role in pilot training and provide a foundation for the training and operational integration of domestically developed aircraft.