Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) jet trainer aircraft Hürjet has passed another milestone in the certification process by obtaining the Design Organization Approval (DOA) and Production Organization Approval (POA) certificates, Haluk Görgün, head of Defense Industries, announced on Sept. 10.
DOA is issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to certify that a company has the necessary processes, engineering infrastructure, and quality management systems to design aircraft or aircraft parts and certify these designs.
POA is also issued by EASA, covering the production side. It demonstrates that a company can manufacture designed parts or aircraft in accordance with international quality and safety standards.
Hürjet is a single-engine, tandem-seat, supersonic advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft, under development by TAI. The name Hürjet means free jet in Turkish and also links the aircraft to fighter pilot and aviation engineer Vecihi Hürkuş.
The project began in July 2017 to create an indigenous supersonic jet trainer and light combat aircraft to modernize the Turkish Air Force’s training and operational capabilities, and the first prototype made its first flight in 2023.
The Hürjet prototype reached a speed of Mach 0.9 at an altitude of 30,000 feet, completing a total of 79 flights in 2024. The second prototype successfully completed its first flight in the same year.
TAI, GE Aerospace and TEI signed a Memorandum of Understanding on integrating the F404 engine into Hürjet aircraft variants and performing assembly, inspection, and testing of the F404 engines in Turkey.
The Turkish Air Force intends to use Hürjet to replace the T-38M Talon in the trainer role and also to supplement the F-16C Fighting Falcon for close air support. It is also planned to replace the F-5A/2000 Freedom Fighter used by the Turkish Stars aerobatic team. A naval version of the aircraft may also be developed. The first delivery of Hürjet to the Turkish Air Force is planned for 2026.
Turkish and Spanish Air Force Commanders performed formation flights with two Hürjet prototypes, on Feb. 26, 2025. With the agreement signed between TAI, Airbus and the Spanish Defense Ministry on May 14, 2025, the Spanish Air Force will receive 24 Hürjets through joint infrastructure production.
