HÜRJET; U.S. Navy's Light Armed Attack and Advanced Jet Trainer Aircraft Candidate
The U.S. Navy is postponing the replacement of the T-45 Goshawk advanced jet trainer by two years. Among the aircraft that will replace the T-45 is TAI's HÜRJET, Turkey's export champion candidate light armed attack and advanced jet trainer aircraft.
According to AWN (Aviation Week Network) news dated 27.06.2024, the US Navy (U.S. Navy) is postponing the replacement of the T-45 Goshawk advanced jet trainer aircraft by two years. Among the aircraft that will replace the T-45 is TAI's HÜRJET, Turkey's export champion candidate light armed attack and advanced jet trainer aircraft (For details, see Ref.-1).
HÜRJET was also among the candidates of the Spanish Air Force for the new advanced jet trainer aircraft (For details, see Ref.-2).
Yes, the US Navy is delaying a potential contract for the procurement of a new jet trainer aircraft by two years because they are still trying to determine whether the aircraft that will replace the T-45 Goshawk will require carrier landing modification and whether this modification will require testing and evaluation. In our opinion, this will need to be determined, and this requirement will provide an additional advantage to the HÜRJET, which is optionally designed with landing gear and fuselage structure, and a variant that can land and take off on TCG Anadol.
The U.S. NAVY issued another Request For Information (RFI) for the Jet Training System on 26 June, postponing the contract approval date from 2026 to 2028. This postponement allowed for both a more comprehensive selection process for the most suitable candidate and the inclusion of additional candidates, including HÜRJET, in this process, in other words, this calendar postponement was in the favour of the U.S.NAVY.
T-45 Goshawk to be replaced by a new Advanced Jet Trainer
What are the U.S. NAVY's Advanced Jet Trainer Candidates? Let's Get to Know Them Briefly:
1. T-7A Red Hawk
Boeing has unveiled the Navy version of the T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft, developed in cooperation with SAAB-Sweden to replace the US Air Force's T-38.
2. TF-50N
Lockheed Martin presents the TF-50N, a new version of the KAI T-50 designed in partnership with Korea Aerospace Industries. Current T-50 operators include Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea and Thailand.
3. Leonardo M-346
Textron and Leonardo teamed up to present the M-346N, a modified version of the M-346 operating in several countries including Italy, Poland and Singapore.
4. TAI HÜRJET
SNC (Sierra Nevada Corp.) collaborated with Turkish Aerospace Industries TAI (TAI) to offer a modified version of the TAI HÜRJET (a variant capable of carrier landing and take-off).
The result
The U.S. NAVY will receive a total of 145 new advanced jet trainers, a very attractive amount for manufacturers. We can already say that the competition will be very tough.
The HÜRJET is a really ambitious design in its class, and the test and evaluation phase is already running very successfully. The biggest disadvantage of HÜRJET is that it is not yet in the service of the Turkish Air Force. This is because the fact that a fighter jet is in the effective service of the air force of its own country is a great advertising input. Countries do not easily buy an aircraft from another country that is not used in that country's air force.
The fact that the U.S.NAVY's purchase contract will be signed in 2028, the fact that HÜRJET will enter the service of the Turkish Air Force in 2025, the fact that the US sales will be made in cooperation with SNC, a company with high efficiency in US aviation, the fact that HÜRJET provides the necessary pilotage facilities for the transition to both 4th and 5th generation aircraft, etc. features; It is far ahead of the M-346 and can easily compete with the T-7 and T-50.
HÜRJET has a high chance of winning the U.S. NAVY's tender for advanced jet trainer aircraft.
