TUSAŞ offered the HÜRJET advanced trainer in the bid for a replacement of the T-45 Goshawk carrier-based trainers used by the US Navy’s aviation wing.
According to TRT News’ Bulgarian page, HÜRJET has been offered as a T-45 Goshawk replacement to the US Navy. The US Navy plans to rapidly replace its ageing T-45 fleet with a plan of 145 new aircraft by 2028, and multiple offers have been made.
Competitors of HÜRJET are M-346N (Textron/Leonardo), T-7 (Boeing/Saab), SNC Freedom, and TF-50N (KAI/Lockheed Martin).
Cutting Down on Carrier-Based Operations for Speed
To ensure a quick production run and introduction, the US Navy has cut down on the carrier-based operation capabilities possessed by the T-45 Goshawk. It is argued that simulators and land-based facilities can provide a similar degree of proficiency before moving to the assigned carrier-based aircraft, which remains to be seen.
CATOBAR capability, while providing a significant amount of familiarity to the pilots, is costly considering the immense stress on the airframe at takeoff and landing. Carrier-based aircraft are naturally sturdier and corrosion-resistant when compared to their air force counterparts. Of course, this adds a significant amount of cost.
HÜRJET’s Rising Presence in Europe
HÜRJET has found its first export customer in Spain, which will invest €1.375 billion ($1.61 billion) to fund the development and introduction of the new trainers developed by HÜRJET, with a plan for 28 to 30 aircraft to replace the F-5BM fleet.
HÜRJET is also a candidate for the UK’s future trainer, alongside TF-50 and T-7A.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
