Turkish Aerospace has begun developing a carrier-capable version of the Hürjet supersonic trainer and light attack aircraft, expanding the platform from a land-based jet into a future naval combat asset aligned with Türkiye’s Mavi Vatan maritime strategy. The move, revealed as Türkiye accelerates plans for carrier aviation, would give the Turkish Navy a domestically produced fixed-wing aircraft able to operate from future warships and strengthen its ability to project air power across contested maritime zones. The navalized Hürjet is being redesigned with reinforced landing gear, a strengthened airframe, and an arresting hook to survive repeated carrier recoveries and sustained deck operations in harsh maritime conditions. Combined with planned unmanned aircraft such as Bayraktar TB3 and Kızılelma aboard the future MUGEM carrier, the aircraft could form part of a mixed manned-unmanned air wing that reflects the broader shift toward distributed and autonomous naval warfare. Read more...
