Turning Point in the Aviation Ecosystem: HÜRJKUŞ and Laçin Project

TUSAŞ, the leading actor of the Turkish aerospace industry, is leaving critical thresholds behind in its national projects while increasing its weight in the global market. Making strategic statements at the ADEX 2026 exhibition held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, TUSAŞ General Manager Dr. Mehmet Demiroğlu shared important details about the company's operational schedule and export success. Emphasizing that September was a milestone for Turkish aviation history, officials stated that deliveries made to the Turkish Air Force gained operational characteristics in the field immediately after obtaining the first domestic military type certification. Following the successful completion of inventory tests, the HÜRJET and HÜRKUŞ-2 procurement contracts signed with Azerbaijan as a result of long-term negotiations were recorded as concrete steps reinforcing the regional deterrence of the Turkish defense industry.

Furthermore, military cooperation between the two brotherly countries is not limited only to new platform acquisitions. The second phase has been reached in the Laçin Project, which is carried out within the framework of ongoing SU-25 modernization projects. These modernization activities, aiming to increase the offensive power of the Azerbaijan Air Force, are projected to be completed within 2027. TUSAŞ continues to offer integrated solutions to meet the operational needs of allied and brotherly countries in a wide spectrum, including helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, fixed-wing aircraft, and satellite technologies.

Advanced Technology Targets in HÜRJET and KAAN Programs

The company's jet trainer and light attack aircraft, HÜRJET, stands out with the distance it has covered in test processes. Following approximately 600 hours of flight performance carried out with two prototypes so far, new prototypes in the final configuration are planned to roll out of the production lines and join the flight tests. In the HÜRJET program, where serial production activities have gained momentum, the international market is also closely monitored. Deliveries to be made to the Spanish Air Force towards the end of 2028 constitute a strategic entry into the European market.

Representing the peak point in aviation engineering, Turkey's largest technology move, the National Combat Aircraft KAAN, stands as the pinnacle of aviation engineering. Excluding the engine—with its landing gears, moving surface actuators, oxygen systems, domestic AESA radars, and integrated ammunition inventory featuring an almost entirely domestic architecture—KAAN is positioned as a "system of systems." In the program, where ground activities of the DAP-1 test prototype continue uninterruptedly, the aircraft is targeted to meet the skies again by the end of the year. This situation reveals Turkey's determined progress in the 5th generation fighter jet league.

Conclusion and Future Perspective

TUSAŞ's current strategic vision is not limited only to manned aircraft but also triggers an industrial revolution in jet-powered unmanned platforms. Unmanned systems operating in 300, 600, and 1000 kilometer range bands and successfully launched from various launch systems (catapult, RATO) have transitioned to the serial production stage. Aiming to move away from classical aviation production logic and establish a high-speed serial production line similar to that of the automotive industry, TUSAŞ strengthens its hand in global competition with a capacity to roll out a platform from the line every two hours. Future engine localization studies and the increasing export volume will make Turkey a global base in aviation technologies.