By Gokhan Ergocun
ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye's homegrown light attack jet Hurjet reached speeds of mach 0.9 at an altitude of 30,000 feet, the head of the Turkish Aerospace Inc. (TAI) said Thursday.
Mehmet Demiroglu wrote on X that the aircraft "is in full swing" and realized its 79th sortie.
Hurjet, which made its maiden flight last year, is the fruit of an advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft project that was launched in 2017 by TAI.
The single-engine aircraft fulfills a critical role in modern pilot training with its superior performance characteristics thanks to its tandem seat with modern avionics and high-performance features, according to TAI.
The aircraft seeks to replace aging jet trainers and to be used as Advanced Jet Trainers due to the increasing number of fifth-generation aircraft and their changing configurations.
The 13.6-meter (44.6 feet) Hurjet has a wingspan of 9.5 meters (31 feet).