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TF-X Turkish Fighter & Trainer Aircraft Projects

Component level assembly is planned to be initiated by August 2021 and completed by March 2022, followed by Final Assembly Line and Ground / Flight Test activities. In other words, we are talking about an aircraft that its first production has already started.

As I mentioned before, although the initial planning was focused on AJT, the project has now turned into a multi-role platform for some understandable reasons. AJT, LIFT, Aggressor aircraft, Air patrol and -if the project is accepted- including Carrier Based Aircraft, it will become a common main platform with a wide range of services.

The short-term advantage of Hurjet is its indirect gains to MMU by running ahead of it. Comprehensive avionics development and integration activities such as the F-16-Özgür, and followed by such as the Hurjet project, that all are supporting elements for reduce the risk of the MMU project and shorten the project schedule. There was no problem in the structural part of the work anyway.

Its long-term advantage is, will provide a flexible and multi-role lightweight platform with lower maintenance costs which can be run for any situation where MMU will be costly. In this respect, the Hurjet project has the potential to find a place not only in foreign markets, but also in Turkish air force combat fleets in the next decade.

In the years when F-16s will be taken out of service completely, a table can be created as follows:
Hurjet AJT, LIFT
Hurjet B Light Attack, (C)AP
Hurjet C Naval Fighter (maybe another airframe with twin engine)
And list goes on with MMU and MIUS variants...

In short, it is no longer a dream for the Turkish air force combat fleets to reach a + 90% domestic supply rate in an average 20-year projection. Thanks to the steps taken today, logistics dependency will be largely eliminated from the 2030s.

As the cost of this transformation, the regional domination of the Turkish air force likely to fall into an interim-weak stage within 2025/2027-to-2034/2036. While TAI prepares these projects for production, one of the main work areas of the Turkish Air Force will be on how to manage this risk range. Therefore, in addition to the comprehensive F-16 modernization package, perhaps a stop gap solution is being evaluated.

I think Hürjet could potentially become a decent light attack aircraft but on the other hand should wonder where this light attack/fighter jet variant of Hürjet could fit inside the Turkish Air Force inventory.

It seems like alongside the growing economy of the Turkish Republic the Turkish Airforce is growing as well, but from what I've observed so far, the planned quantitatove expansion is reserved for thr TF-X and various UAVs.

TuAF seems to be planning to further use their Peace Onyx I F-16s, given that they have improved its structures so it could serve for additional 4,000 hours of flight duty, thus upgrading it with new avionics with Özgür project. That probably means service at least into mid 2030s and possibly even after 2040. I also expect Tukey to implement such upgrade for the Peace Onyx II ~ IV aircrafts as well.

The space left by the soon to be retired F-4s are going to be filled with TF-X a few years later. According to what the TuAF and SSB are claiming the TF-X would be produced in numbers bigger than 100 airframes. This would mean that it wouldn't only replace the 40-ish F-4s.

That all together would mean a TuAF inventory in the mid 2030s with 270-ish F-16s with upgraded avionics and 50~80- ish TF-X, depending on the budget restraints and production speed of TAI. Add several UAVs on top of that, ranging from Anka, Aksungur and so on.

I don't see a place in the near future where Hürjet attack aircraft fits, as I've mentioned above. So my take is that TuAF would only buy the ATJ and LIFT variant of the Hürjet in the near future. In such case, it is either left for TAI to fund the system integration of various combat systems like the radar and armaments themselves or the government paying for what they would probably not use for the sake of export.

Maybe things would change when the F-16s start retiring, but once more according to the Turkish officials, TF-X is aimed to cost around $80 milion flyaway. This is not cheap but also not too expensive in today's stamdards as well. In order to achieve sufficient economics of scale the TuAF has to replace F-16s with TF-X as well. Maybe only then they would produce a few Hürjet with combat capabilities for ligther duty missions like air patrolling or CAS. Still, that would probably be quite some time after the introsuction of the Hürjet. What do you think?
 
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Currently there seems to be a few major avionics related R&D program that are made public regarding the TF-X program.

Namely, BÜRFIS for the AESA radar, BEOS for the EO system, BUHSET for CNI suite. There also seems to be programs for developing the HMD, EW suite, as well as MAWS, although it is unknown if those programs are given unique names like "BEOS" or "BÜRFIS"

Since the MAWS is mentioned separate to BEOS, I suspect that BEOS is a forward looking IRST that could be found in front of the cockpit of the MMU.

BÜRFIS I've heard would utilize the technologies developed while developing the AESA radar for the ÖZGÜR program.

Regarding BEOS, Turkey has already developed stuff like ASELPOD so I don't think the hurdle's going to be that high regarding the hardware of it. Difficulties would rather lie on the software side of things.

BUHSET would probably utilize the Turkish IFF and INS device technology, also developed for the ÖZGÜR program, as well, although It is unknown if Turkey is also aiming to develop more advanced CNI systems like SDR or data link protocols which utilize directional communication.

TF-X's mission computer I suspect would be a scaled up version of the ÖZGÜR mission computer, as it is mentioned that ÖZGÜR mission computer is based on an integrated architecture.

The EW suite would probably be based on the technologies developed by EHPOD and EDPOD programs. More specifically, the EA features would probably come from EHPOD technologies and ESM feautres from the EDPOD technologies. I'm not sure of the RWR though.

MAWS would proabably going to be based on the Aselsan MWS. Maybe a system with bigger sensor for higher resolution is going to be used? I'm not sure. Anyways, the MAWS is usually a part of EW suite so I suspect that it would be the case for TF-X as well.

What's going to be interesting to observe is which level of system integration and data fusion Turkey would be aiming to achieve on the TF-X. Not much is known in that regard I feel.
 
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I am not sure why TAI haven't updated the specs of the engine from 19,200 lbs to 17,700lb on their website since it has max. thurst 17,700 lbs though India may have agreed to share GE-F404-IN20 (19,000 lbs) with Turkey.

India doesn't have to agree to it as we have no rights on the IN20 variant. But I've found it weird why Hürjet designers wanted more thrust than the basic F404 in the first place.

IN20 variant of F414 may make it to some of your TF-X though.
 
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Another interesting aspect of TAI Hurjet is its payload. I don't know how exactly TAI have calculated the estimated payload of Hurjet, but according to their website, the advanced trainer jet will have a payload capacity of 2721 kg (6000 lbs).

This is significantly lower than other aircraft powered by GE-F404 (2721kg vs. 4.5~5.3 tonnes). Is this because TAI reserve more weight for an internal fuel tank? I think it is plausible explaination since Hurjet has longer 'range' of 2592km than Tejas and some other GE-F404 power aircraft. However, it is possible the advertised 'range' of Hurjet includes fuel from external fuel tanks.

Anyhow, It seems like Turkey has rather made an intriguing choice.
 
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I think it is plausible explaination since Hurjet has longer 'range' of 2592km
Good thing you put range in inverted commas. The only fighter in the world with range values that I trust is Tejas, because of the general lazy dead horse nature of Indian brochure makers. For this reason, in real life, sometimes we see this fighter even exceeding the values on paper.

All other fighters, range values on paper should be ignored with prejudice. It's too dependent on too many factors. Those who have ambitions simply pick the best case scenario and add 20% extra.
 
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India doesn't have to agree to it as we have no rights on the IN20 variant. But I've found it weird why Hürjet designers wanted more thrust than the basic F404 in the first place.

IN20 variant of F414 may make it to some of your TF-X though.

He is Korean
 
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The source is yenişafak... slightly more credible source than double-layered toilet paper.

AVCI is a helicopter sighting system.

That being said, ASELSAN probably is developing a helmet-mounted display for TF-X
You started to go stupidoo again when you see a reliable source, there is no statement in the news that AVCİ will be used. They mention that Aselsan is working on a similar product for TFX.
 
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