Türkiye concluded the year 2021 by breaking a record in exports. The country broke another record in defence and aerospace exports. In 2021, the exports exceeded US$ 3 billion for the first time. Compared to previous years, the delivery of more unmanned air vehicles played an influential role in reaching this level. Türkiye is raising the bar in this area by exporting Hürkuş qualified as the first Turkish aircraft with a European certificate.

MANUFACTURER COMPANY TAI

Manufacturer company of Hürkuş, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) is Türkiye’s centre of technology regarding the design, development, modernization, production, and integration of integrated aerospace industry systems ranging from fixed and rotating wing air platforms to unmanned air vehicles and space systems. 

EUROPEAN CERTIFICATION

Though initially planned as a trainer jet, various designs of Hürkuş for different utilization types were developed, and the aircraft received the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) ‘TT32 Aircraft Type Certificate’ on 11 July 2016. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) validated SHGM’s certificate for all European countries on the same day. In this way, Hürkuş became the first Turkish aircraft to receive a type certificate from a European Civil Aviation Authority. Malaysia, Niger, Azerbaijan and Pakistan remain on Hürkuş’ export radar in the first stage.

INFRASTRUCTURAL INVESTMENTS

Remaining among the global players of aviation, space and defence industry, TAI achieved a more ambitious position in production and procurement with the facilities it launched in the first week of this year. The official opening of the facilities, including the National Combat Aircraft (TF-X) Engineering Center and Composite Production Building to enhance Türkiye’s position in the aerospace industry, has been executed with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
A ceremony has been conducted for a series of facilities at TAI in addition to the Engineering Center regarding the TF-X carried out under the coordination of the Presidency of Defence Industries of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye. Two thousand and three hundred people will be employed at the TF-X Engineering Center.

SPACE SYSTEMS

 Officially opened Composite Production Building and auxiliary facilities will be Türkiye’s most prominent and the world’s 4th largest composite facility under a single roof. The factory with 150 engineers and 850 technicians will have the capacity of meeting 2% of the global composite aircraft structure market. Seven hundred eighteen people will be employed at the Space Systems Engineering (SSE) Center. The 16 facilities will introduce employment opportunities to 15 thousand people at the Aerospace and Aviation Specialized Organized Industrial Zone.

HÜRJET to launch serial production

The first phase serial production call was made for HÜRJET that is planned to conduct the maiden flight in 2023. T-38 jet trainers within Turkish Air Forces inventory is aimed to be replaced with HÜRJET. The aircraft is intended to share the closer air support and combat aircraft training roles of the F-16s with the light attack aircraft configuration with a payload capacity of 2 thousand 721kgs. HÜRJET is designed to perform at a service ceiling of 45 thousand feet with a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, and the aircraft will feature state-of-the-art technology and flight systems.