Niger might be the first customer of Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) even before the Turkish Armed Forces according to the phone conversation between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum.
Turkey’s Directorate of Communications announced that President Erdoğan and Bazoum had a phone conversation about bilateral relations. Two leaders spoke over bilateral, regional issues. “President Erdogan stated that the TB2 drones, Hürkuş aircraft, and armoured vehicles that Niger would get from Turkey would strengthen the country’s military and security forces” according to the Directorate’s statement.
The amount and version of Hürkuş aircraft remained undisclosed. Neither President of Defence Industries, not TUSAŞ made further comments on the issue.
Professor Temel Kotil, CEO of TUSAŞ, mentioned an export during an interview on CNN Turk on November 11. He stated that Turkish Aerospace had secured a deal for the first Hürkuş export. The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered within six months. Kotil, on the other hand, made a statement in April 2022 in an interview. He said that They are close to exporting twelve Hürkuş-C.
Hürkuş is a tandem two-seat, low-wing, single-engine turboprop aircraft. It is designed to fulfil different missions under various configurations. It can be used as advanced trainer aircraft bridging the training gap between elementary training and fighter aircraft conversion and light attack & armed reconnaissance combat aircraft. The aircraft may fulfil close air support missions.
Hürkuş-C is the armed variant of the Hürkuş family for CAS missions where anti-air warfare is negligible. It can carry a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor and has a maximum weapons load of 3,300lb (1,500kg). It will be able to take off and land on unprepared runways. The main advantage of the Hürkuş-C is that it reduces the cost of CAS missions, particularly in low-intensity conflict theatres.
The aircraft has a new version Air-Ground Integration Training Aircraft (Hürkuş HYEU). The aircraft is a derivative of formerly planned training aircraft Hürkuş-B. Hürkuş-B was designed solely for the advanced training of pilots. The pilots will still receive training with the aircraft, but the type of training will be different. They will learn how to conduct close air support missions. The aircraft will be equipped with air to ground munition as well.
The geography, international relations and armed forces of Niger give clues about the use of Hürkuş aircraft.
Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa named after the Niger River. The country covers almost 1,270,000 km2, making it the second-largest landlocked country in West Africa. Over 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara Desert. The country is a former colony of France, and it borders Mali.
The country has only two Su-25 attack aircraft. The entire airpower consists of aircraft and helicopters for transport, general utility or light air to ground attack missions.
