While Turkiye and Egypt are developing bilateral relations, Turkish defence industry companies exhibited their products at the Egypt International Airshow (EIA).
While Egyptian President Abdulfettah al-Sisi officially visited Turkiye upon the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, TUSAŞ’s advanced training aircraft Hürjet performed a demonstration flight in front of the pyramids in Egypt.
Turkish defence industry companies participating in the Egypt International Airshow presented the products they developed to participants worldwide. The International Egypt Air Show, which was held for the first time at El Alamein Airport near Alexandria, Egypt, continues. In addition to TUSAŞ, ASELSAN, Baykar, SDT Space and Defence Technologies Inc., and HAVELSAN participated from Turkiye. HÜRJET performed a demonstration flight at the airshow, as did the pyramids.
HAVELSAN’s sub-cloud UAV BAHA also performed a similar demonstration flight. Baykar is exhibiting mockups of Bayraktar KALKAN, Bayraktar AKINCI and Bayraktar TB2. ASELSAN introduced the guided munitions TOLUN and ASELFLIR-500 Electro-Optical Reconnaissance products to the participants. SDT Space and Defence Technologies Inc. showcased its avionics, electronic warfare and simulation products, and the ACMI Air Combat Pilot Tactical Training System. With this demonstration flight, TUSAŞ’s Hürjet aircraft flew for the first time at an international aviation fair. Hürjet was expected to make its first flight at the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) held in the United Kingdom.
The aircraft, which could not participate in that fair because some of its tests were not completed in time, made a special flight in Spain a few weeks later. The aircraft’s second flight abroad was to Egypt. On the other hand, the newly developed Aero L-39NG Training and Light Attack Aircraft of the Czech company Aero Vodochody is also being exhibited in Egypt. Egypt has F-16s produced in Turkiye at TUSAŞ facilities in the inventory.
Anadolu Agency News reported that Egyptian Air Force Pilot Ahmed Elmallah was present alongside TUSAŞ's Test Pilot Orhan Boran on the co-pilot seat. This not only offered a view of Hürjet's handling to the officials from the outside but also one to an Egyptian Air Force pilot from the inside.
