Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is targeting Southeast Asian air force requirements with its HURJET advanced jet trainer. The airframer has also completed deliveries of three ANKA MALE UAVs to the RMAF.
A full-scale mock-up of the HURJET is being displayed at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition, as Turkish Aerospace seeks to re-enter Malaysia’s Light Combat Aircraft/Fighter Lead-In Trainer (LCA/FLIT) requirement.
“We believe that HURJET is going to answer most, if not all, of the air forces’ training needs… especially for medium-sized air forces,” Mehmet Demiroglu, General Manager of Turkish Aerospace Industries told FW MAG in an exclusive interaction at the show.
TAI is positioning HURJET as a dual-role advanced trainer and light combat aircraft, aimed at air forces seeking a cost-effective platform for both pilot training and operational missions. Demiroglu said the aircraft is now better positioned for Malaysia’s future LCA/FLIT Phase 2 requirement, following its exclusion from the earlier competition.
“We pushed hard with HURJET for the RMAF Phase 1 LCA/FLIT competition for 18 aircraft. But at that time, the requirement was that the aircraft should be in operational service, and HURJET was still in development,” he said.
“The HURJET is now flying extensively and has been ordered by two large NATO air forces… with deliveries to begin next year. This makes HURJET once again a viable option.”
Deliveries to the Turkish Air Force are scheduled to being in 2027, with Spain to receive its first aircraft in the second half of 2028. He added that the aircraft was not offered for the Philippine Air Force requirement, which was awarded to Leonardo’s M-346 Block 20 earlier this year.
The company is currently prioritising the trainer configuration for the Turkish and Spanish air forces, with a light combat variant in parallel development. HURJET is undergoing testing with a domestically developed AESA radar and integration of beyond visual range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAM) is also planned.
Separately, Demiroglu confirmed that all three ANKA unmanned aerial vehicles ordered by the Royal Malaysian Air Force have been delivered and accepted.
“All the ANKA UAVs have been delivered and accepted. The RMAF completed the acceptance last week,” he said.
TAI is now in discussions with Malaysia on potential follow-on orders and expects further demand across the region. “We are talking if they need more,” Demiroglu said, adding that the company is confident of securing additional ANKA sales in Southeast Asia.
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