Once banished from the F-35 program and left with a glaring capability gap, Turkey has turned around its destiny by dramatically expanding its aerospace industry.
At the dawn of the 21st century, Turkey was the world’s third-biggest arms importer. However, its reliance on foreign military imports has plummeted drastically, from around 80% in 2004 to less than 20% today. On the contrary, Turkey has emerged as a defense exporter, with its cutting-edge arms being used on many battlefields with a high degree of operational success.
It is, however, noteworthy that Turkey’s meteoric rise as the manufacturer and exporter of weapons is directly linked to the strides made by its domestic aerospace industry. From developing fifth-generation fighters to light trainers and stealth drones, Ankara has firmly established itself as a credible aerospace power.
Recently, the Turkish Aerospace (TA) Hürkus-II advanced turboprop trainer aircraft took its maiden flight on December 30. The twin-seater aircraft, which is already scheduled to join the Turkish Air Force, achieved the milestone from TA’s production facility near Ankara. The Hürkus-II flew for 20 minutes and reached 6,500 feet.
According to reports, the Hürkus-II is the latest variant of the Turkish turboprop trainer aircraft after civil, military-trainer, and armed versions of the Hürkus. In the principal trainer duty, the Hürkus-B has already been deployed by the Turkish Air Force, replacing the SIAI-Marchetti SF260. At least 55 Hürkus-II will further augment Turkey’s military trainer fleet, as recently reported by Janes.
While the details about this new aircraft are currently scarce, many other aerospace developments in Turkey warrant attention. For instance, Turkey’s Baykar, which has emerged as the face of its aerospace and defense industries, has acquired an Italian aviation giant with over a century of history, Piaggio Aerospace.
In a statement published on December 30, the Turkish drone maker said: “The world’s largest UCAV company, Baykar, outbid rivals from multiple countries in a competitive tender for the sale of Piaggio Aerospace, which was established in 1884.”
Analysts believe that the acquisition is significant because it will give the company access to European markets. In 2004, Pratt & Whitney America chose Piaggio Aerospace to manufacture and deliver F-135 engine components for the F-35 stealth aircraft.
Some media outlets are suggesting that Turkey could be able to re-enter the F-35 supplier program with the acquisition of Piaggio. However, such assessments could be far-fetched.
Nevertheless, Turkey’s concerted efforts at boosting indigenization and Research & Development in Aerospace have certainly paid off. As previously noted by veteran journalist Prakash Nanda in an article for EurAsian Times, “The rapid development of Turkey’s defense industries and the increasing global acceptance of their products have resulted in many collateral benefits, such as the consolidation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s regime without any fear of a military challenge, Ankara pursuing a militarized foreign policy in its neighborhood, and the country managing flexible geopolitical alliances.”
Turkey’s Meteoric Rise As An Aerospace Power
The biggest milestone that Turkey has achieved in recent times is indigenously developing its own fifth-generation stealth aircraft—KAAN.
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The twin-engine multirole/air superiority fighter, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), made its first flight in February and is expected to enter service in the early 2030s, catapulting Turkey into a small clique of countries that have indigenously developed a fifth-generation fighter.
The aircraft is meant to replace the Turkish F-16s and is also planned for exports. In fact, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the aircraft with more potential customers to line up in the future.
Even if the KAAN does not outmatch the capabilities of the American F-35 Lightning II, it does provide a cheap alternative to countries that are unlikely to get the F-35 from the United States due to its stringent export-related conditions.
KAAN’s development has been heralded as a turning point for Turkey, particularly after it was kicked out of the US F-35 Lightning II consortium for purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense system. For several years, Turkey has struggled to acquire an advanced fifth-generation aircraft and modernize its aging F-16 fleet as the US dragged its feet on approving a sale. The KAAN is, thus, going to be a game-changer.
The next big milestone that warrants special attention is the Hurjet trainer, Turkey’s first indigenously built supersonic jet, which took its maiden flight in April 2024.
The aircraft, developed by TAI, is still in its developmental phase and has not yet entered serial production. However, reports suggest that the production will likely start in 2025, with the first deliveries by 2025-2026.
The aircraft, which is often compared with the US T-7 Red Hawk trainer aircraft, won its maiden export deal earlier this month after a failed bid to export the Hurjet Light Combat Aircraft to Malaysia.
Hurjet can reach a maximum speed of approximately Mach 1.4 and has a service ceiling of 45,000 feet. The aircraft has been outfitted with modern avionics and designed to conduct armed reconnaissance missions, light attacks, training flights, and close air support.
Turkey has also established itself as a world leader in drone technology. Turkish firm Baykar has produced some of the most advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of modern times—the TB2, TB3, Akinci, and Kizilelma.
The TB-2, for one, has been hailed as a success story. The drone has been sold to about two dozen countries (most recently to Kenya, as per reports on social media on December 31) and has shown exceptional combat success in several battle zones, including in the Nogorono-Karabakh conflict fought in 2020 between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where it tilted the battle in the latter’s favor.
Notably, this drone rose to prominence during the Russia-Ukraine war as well. These drones quickly managed to score some stunning combat victories for Ukraine. Numerous claims and videos have shown Ukraine employing these drones to attack Russian patrol boats, armor, and tanks.
The company has also developed the TB-3, the carrier-tailored version of the Bayraktar TB2 drone, which is bigger and better than the TB2. With foldable wings and the ability to take off from short runways, the TB3 is set to become the first combat drone in history capable of launching and landing on a short runway like the TCG Anadolu.
The TB3 UCAV is capable of intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions using the smart weapons installed under its wings. The TB3 entered the flight testing phase last year and carried out an impressive 32-hour flight during a test in December, setting a new record for Bayraktar-class UAVs.
The other UAV that shot to fame recently is the Bayraktar Akinci. Named after the Turkish word for ‘Raider,’ Bayraktar Akinci is a high-altitude, long-endurance drone that can be armed with weapons.
The drone is equipped with a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. According to Baykar, the drone can perform maneuvers similar to fighter jets and carry a range of payloads. Additionally, the Akıncı can strike targets on land and in the air. It can also fly higher and stay in the air longer than Turkey’s current drone fleet.
The Akinci recently stunned the world as it test-fired the supersonic missile UAV-122. Thus, it further demonstrated its combat prowess when drones are becoming a mainstay of combat.
The Akinci also helped in search and rescue efforts after an Iranian helicopter carrying former President Ebrahim Raisi crashed in May 2024. The Akinci has already been purchased by Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Libya, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Moreover, at least two countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan, have expressed interest in the drone.
In addition, Turkey has made a massive breakthrough in developing stealthy unmanned aircraft with two deserving special mention.
One of these is the Anka-3, the first flying-wing, deep-strike drone developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The Anka-3 is a medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for long-endurance surveillance missions.
With an impressive endurance capability of up to 30 hours, the drone can operate at 30,000 feet and cover 250 kilometers. The prototype of the TAI Anka-3 stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) made its first flight on December 28, 2023.
The Anka-3 is a revolutionary UAV as it is about the same size as a light fighter, and its low-observable qualities are meant to make it resilient enough to withstand combat missions like electronic warfare, strike, observation, and the suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses. This unmanned aircraft will likely accompany KAAN.
The other unmanned aircraft that positions Turkey as a world leader in this area is the Kizilelma or the National Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle System (MIUS). Developed by Baykar, Kizilelma is an unmanned fighter jet that is expected to carry out a wide range of military operations, including close air support (CAS), missile offensives, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD).
The Turkish Kizilelma unmanned aircraft is anticipated to fly for five hours and travel at speeds of up to 800 kilometers per hour or a speed of Mach 0.64. With a maximum take-off weight of 6 tons, the drone is planned to have a 1,500-kilogram payload capacity. According to the manufacturer, a supersonic aircraft variant will also be developed. As per reports, this aircraft will likely fly with the KAAN as a loyal wingman.
Several of the aircraft mentioned above remain in the development phase and are yet to enter production. However, they represent the massive leaps taken by Turkey that have positioned Ankara as an aerospace behemoth.
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