On September 26, 2013, during the Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSİK) meeting, a decision was reached to initiate contract negotiations with Turkish Aerospace for the serial production of HÜRKUŞ aircraft, fulfilling the Air Force Command's need for 15 new-generation basic trainer aircraft.
Following extensive studies and negotiations subsequent to this decision, the HÜRKUŞ-B Contract was signed on December 26, 2013. HÜRKUŞ, a tandem-seat, low-wing, single-engine, turboprop trainer aircraft, has been designed to deliver superior performance as a next-generation advanced trainer and light attack aircraft. Tailored to meet comprehensive training needs during the transition from basic training to the armed version, it excels in executing close air support missions in challenging operations. The production of 15 aircraft has already been completed.
Approximately 1,500 sorties have been conducted with the produced aircraft, accumulating a total flight time of 3,200 hours. Throughout these flights, the aircraft achieved a speed of 356 knots and reached an altitude of 35,500 feet, demonstrating resilience to forces ranging from -2.5g to +7g. The flights included various tests such as system function tests, air data system calibration, stability and control tests, emergency tests, low-speed tests, detailed stall and aerodynamic configuration tests, spin tests, performance tests, in-flight engine shutdown tests, aerobatic and operational tests, high-speed and flutter tests, etc.
As part of the project, a comprehensive set of 545 documents were prepared to be submitted to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). On July 11, 2016, the “TT32 Aircraft Type Certificate” for the HÜRKUŞ New Generation Basic Trainer Aircraft was granted by DGCA. Simultaneously, EASA validated the certificate issued by DGCA, enabling its recognition across all European countries. Consequently, HÜRKUŞ became the first Turkish aircraft to receive type certification from EASA.
Activities for the design and production of 15 New Generation Basic Trainer Aircraft were initiated with the Contract Amendment signed with the Defence Industry Agency on May 3, 2021. The Critical Design Review phases were successfully completed in September 2022, with the goal of delivering a more advanced basic trainer aircraft to the Air Force Command in 2025.