The Turkish Air Force has officially accepted the first two Hürkuş-II next-generation basic trainer aircraft into service, marking the inaugural delivery of a locally built platform to the nation’s armed forces.
Developed by state enterprise Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the single-engine turboprop reached military certification in early September following approximately 23,000 hours of ground, laboratory, and flight testing.
The platform features a localization rate near 80 percent, using avionics and software subsystems from domestic defense firms including Aselsan and Havelsan.
The initial handover kicked off an expanded procurement program that grew from 15 to 55 aircraft, with TAI slated to supply 12 trainers by the end of 2026.
Shipments will then proceed at a rate of two per month through 2028, supporting a parallel establishment of dedicated operational squadrons.
The Hürkuş-II System
The TAI Hürkuş-II’s design incorporates a cockpit that directly assists preparatory initiatives for Turkey’s upcoming Hürjet advanced jet trainer and fifth-generation Kaan fighter.
It has an airframe length and wingspan of 11 meters (36 feet), a wide-angle heads-up display, and a modern avionics and communications system.
Additional capabilities include a human-machine interference, a built-in flight simulator, 30-second inverted flight positioning, and available reconfiguration into a light attack and reconnaissance mission aircraft.
The plane uses a 1,600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68T engine that enables a maximum speed of 288 knots (533 kilometers/331 miles per hour), an operational radius of 1,190 kilometers (739 miles), and altitudes over 11,900 meters (39,041 feet).