Ok. I've been fast-reading the TFX thread of the defencehub.live and compiled an update flood about HÜRJET and TFX. All the posts have the timestamps.
First some info about some of the involved companies:
TAI/TUSAŞ - Turkish equivalent of HAL
TEI - Engine manufacturing and design company
TRMOTOR - Newly found jet engine design company
ASELSAN - designs, develops and manufactures modern electronic systems for military and industrial customers
HAVELSAN - software and systems company mostly active in the fields of
C4ISR,
naval combat systems,
E-government applications,
reconnaissance surveillance and intelligence systems,
management information systems,
simulation and training systems,
logistic support,
homeland security systems and
energy management systems.
TÜBİTAK - Research Center that has hands-on applications on almost all fields I can think of. It has many branches.
ROKETSAN - not hard to guess their work from the name
Should mention a few names and give very short intros:
Temel Kotil - the CEO of TAI. An aeronautical engineer. Previous CEO of Turkish Airlines. Received his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Mahmut Akşit - the CEO of TEI. Ex GE engineer(10 years in R&D center). Received his Ph.D from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Has very chummy relationships with GE executives. I remember his mentioning a head of GE engineering department was his roommate etc. He has many stories about GE that I don't have the time to tell here now.
İsmail Demir - president of of Defence Industries. An aircraft engineer. postgraduate from Michigan University and Ph.D from Washington University.
Reminder
Hürjet is the Turkish equivalent of Tejas;
TFX is, again, the Turkish equivalent of AMCA.
I will use three dashes "---" to separate posts. There is no order by subject. It's by date. If the text color is
blue, it means I added that information(not originally in the post). So here we go,
---
(Aug 24, 2020)
Hürjet
FEATURES
- High AoA controllability
- Head-Up Display (HUD)
- Helmet Mounted Display (optional)
- Full authority, Digital Fly-by-Wire FCS
- State-of-the-art HMI, minimum conversion time to F-35 and TF
- Intra & Inter datalink
- NVG compatible (AJT, LIFT)
- Aerial refueling
- Carefree handling
- Embedded Tactical Training & Live Virtual Constructive Training Systems
- APU for autonomous operation also from austere airfield
ROLES
- Advanced Jet Trainer
- Lead-in Fighter Trainer
- Light Attack (Close Air Support)
- Red Aircraft
- Air Policing (Armed & Unarmed)
- Acro Team Aircraft
TECHNICAL DATA
- Dimensions
- Wingspan 9.8 m / 32.1 ft
- Length 13 m / 42.6 ft
- Height 4.2 m / 13.7 ft
- Wing Area 24 m2 / 258.3 ft2
- Thrust 19,200 lb
PERFORMANCE
- Service Ceiling 13,716 m / 45,000 ft
- Sustained Turn 6.5g @ 15,000 ft <0.9M
- Climb Rate 35,000 fpm
- Range 2592 km / 1400 nm
- Payload Capacity 2721 kg / 6000 lbs
- Maximum Speed 1.4 Mach
- G Limits +8g / -3g
---
(Aug 27, 2020)
TFX development timelines and costs
Phase-I: Engineering development and preliminary design phase
- Cost:1,3 billion $
- Schedule:4/5 years
- Completion: 2021
Phase-II: Critical design review and Prototype production/Qualification phase
- Cost: 7,3 billion $
- Schedule: 8 years
- Completion: 2029
In this phase:
7 TF-X prototypes will be produced
Roll-out ceremony for first TF-X MMU in 2023. First flight is expected to be done in 2024/2025
Serial production phase
- Commencement: 2029/2030
- Cost: 14 billion $
---
---
(Auf 27, 2020)
Ongoing infrastructure investment
TAI Wind tunnel center (It is said to be one of the most advanced wind tunnel of the World)
Operational:2022
Cost: 1,5 billion TL
Place: Ankara
Facility contains following capabilities;
- Big Subsonic Wind Tunnel
- Trisonic Wind Tunnel (Up to 5 Mach)
TF-X MMU R&D, Analyse and Test Building
- 3000 Aerospace engineers will work there.
- TF-X MMU will be shaped in this facility
- Super computers with 10.000 core each will serve in this facility.
- It will be operational in 2021.
https://defencehub.live/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fencrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%253AANd9GcTsDw-IjcRmin6aHjDa8cPV028Zx1qymVwAHAD_Px7wC7vE_2bB&hash=20c79a1b119d58fa27d5529f7dac1e32
TAI Composite Production Facility (Fourth biggest in World)
- This facility will meet %2 of World composite production
- 95000m2
- TF-X MMU fuselage composites will be supplied from there
- Industry 4.0 fully otonom production processes
- It will be operational in 2021
https://defencehub.live/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fdefence.pk%2Fpdf%2Fattachments%2Fupload_2020-2-24_18-31-37-jpeg.608321%2F&hash=d23ce7274316dd13f86125d97c17866e
TAI-Tübitak Near field RCS test & analyse facility & TAI-Far field RCS test facility
- The facility will analyse/test critical RCS figures of aircrafts up to 25m length.
- According to information, There are 4 facilities that is in same level with the TAI’s RCS facility.
- RCS info has to be kept secret so this facility has serious importance to protect the key features of TF-X.
- It will be operational in 2021.
TAI Fully Anechoic Chamber facility
- Totally enclosed test facility
- EMI/EMC tests
TAI Lightening test facility
- Up to million Volt electricity will be able to given to platforms
- Hizal institute is charged to develop system
- Drones, helicopters and other fixed wing platforms will be tested there
---
(Oct 14, 2020)
The deals related with Tf-X:
- Tusaş-Artificial Intelligence Structures: The design and production of eight flight control rods and the determination of the company as the preferred supplier for the future production of 200 products
- Havelsan-TrMotor: The development and certification of engine avionic control units. In these systems, the local and national Real-Time Operating System (GIS) developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM will be used.
- TAI-Havelsan: Embedded Training, Training and Maintenance Simulators and engineering support (Virtual Test Environment, project-level software development, and cybersecurity).
- Havelsan MMU engineering team: (~500 engineers) are writing more than 20 million code of line softwares for Tf-X fighter computers(Source: Havelsan manager). (f35 has 24 million code of line software)
- TAI-Aselsan: Gallium-nitride (GaN) Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Integrated Processing Computer (Mission Computer), Infrared Search and Track (IRST) System (in front of the cockpit), Integrated EW Suit, as well as a Integrated Electro-Optical Targeting System (which is abbreviated as BEOS in Turkish and will have a similar function as the Electro-Optical Targeting System [EOTS] on the F-35), Helmet Mounted Sight System (HMDS, there is no HUD at the cockpit) and an Integrated Cockpit Display System (panoramic cockpit. Aselsan also is developing Integrated RF System (abbreviated as BÜRFİS in Turkish) for the MMU/TF-X. The BÜRFİS Project aims to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) by developing critical technology elements with national means such as: Low Visibility Radar and Electronic Warfare Integrated Antenna Designs suitable for 5th Generation aircraft structure. Radar and EW Integrated Receiver/Transmitter Structures. AESA-based Combat Aircraft Radar Algorithms with simultaneous function capability. Broadband high-performance RF Components.
- TAI-Tübitak: The Integrated Processing Unit (IPU, a mission computer and abbreviated as BÜİT in Turkish)
- TAI-TrMotor: National turbofan engine (max.30000lbf class)
- TAI-BAE System: Consultancy and Engineering help for over all stealth design fuselage
---
(Feb 28, 2021)
Ismail Demir about the TF-X Current Status:
-->
First Metal Cut was performed last week!
- TF-X Project is on Track, no hiccups to be expected
- Some of the Wind Tunnel Tests have already Started
---
(Mar 25, 2021)
The CDR of Hürjet is overlooked by Stirling Dynamics
Hard work and endless efforts with a great deal of team work finally paid off, resulting over 1700 pages of a critical design report. I feel like as if we have achieved to write a book called "introduction to trainer jet aircraft design&built 101". I am very proud to be a member of this magnificant team. Well done to all who is involved.
---
(Mar 14, 2021)
planned production capacities
#TfX= 24 aircraft/year
#Atak-2= 24 helicopter/year
(T929 or heavy attack helicopter)
---
(Mar 14, 2021)
Temel Kotil:
Tubitak Bilgem is tasked with Flight computer of MMU.
---
(Mar 15, 2021)
TUSAS(
TAI) have purchased a additive manufacturing machine which can produce 6m2 parts, this printer will be used to make Titanium bulkheads of MMU/TFX
They(
TAI) are buying a 50.000 core new computer for simulations.
---
(Mar 27, 2021)
The Critical Design Review (CDR) Phase of the HÜRJET, twin-seat, single-engine supersonic new generation Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was completed in early March 2021. According to original schedule the CDR Phase should have been completed in August 2020 (To+36...
www.defenceturkey.com
---
(Apr 10, 2021)
Mr KOTIL: "If Turkey fails to do own ejection seat, it's not possible to make national aircraft "
---
(Apr 10, 2021)
TF-X MMU Sub-systems
Ejection Seat: (?)
Canopy: Volo (!)
OBOGS: BioSys (?)
Landing Gears: Turkish (Alp Avition (?)) and an Italian institute are developing. IP rights will be owned by Turkey.
BURFIS embedded RF systems (AESA radar+ EW sensors): Aselsan
BEOS embedded E/O systems (E/O and IRST sensors): Aselsan
Smart glass cockpit with mission computers and AI pilot decision support system: Aselsan
HMDS: Aselsan
APU (Auxiliary Power Unit): TrMotor (Design-Development)
ATSS (Air Turbine Start System): TrMotor (Design-development)
Turbofan engine (30000lb class): TrMotor (Design-Development)
Missile payload: Roketsan/TubitakSAGE
---
(Apr 25, 2021)
from interview with Temel Kotil:
> 2nd largest wind Tunnel will be finished at the End of 2022 and cost a whopping 100 Million USD
> Power Consumption is expected to be 15 Megawatts!
TF-X
> He says
10 Billion will be spend and at least 5 Billion USD of that are for Engineers Salaries in 10 Years Time
- Even though he said 60 Billion for Program Cost. That might be too high.
---
(Apr 25, 2021)
60 billion $ budget includes R&D expenditures, technological and manufacturing investments(wind tunnel, lightning test center, composite factory etc), salaries of engineer and workers, prototype aircraft, price of 250 aircraft to be procured and life cycle costs of those aircrafts.
Fly away cost of serial production fighter is expected to be 80 million $.
---
(Apr 25, 2021)
Mr Kotil: Retired Head engineer of Eurofighter program came to Tusaş for Hürjet.
---
(Apr 25, 2021)
Mr Kotil: Pakistani origin British citizen experienced engineers joined to TfX development program. "Hundreds" of similar experienced engineers (British citizen muslims (?)) who took clearence from British defence ministry is coming for TfX now.
---
(Apr 25, 2021)
Total cost of TF-X project is expected to be between 50-60 billion $. This figure includes everything.
9 prototype +250 Fighters=25 billion.
Salaries: 5 billion $
R&D and investment budget: 5 billion $
Life cycle costs: 25 billion $
---
(Apr 25, 2021)
Temel Kotil:
"The development cost of the MMU will be around 10 billion $. The development cost of the T929(
heavy attack helicopter) will be just under 1 billion $."
"We are developing Hürjet, T629(
light attack helicopter, will replace T129) and T925(
heavy utility helicopter) projects with our own resources."
---
(Apr 30, 2021)
Temel Kotil:
"A Turkish and an Italian company will make MMU's landing gears together. It will be indigenious and national. Intellectual property rights will also be in TR."
(TAAC established by the Turkish company TUSAŞ-Altınay partnership. Italian company Magnaghi Aeronautica. TO)
---
(May 5, 2021)
2 flight prototypes, 1 static testing prototype, 1 fatigue testing prototype will be constructed in the scope of Hurjet project.
---
(May 6, 2021)
Planned configurations for Hürjet:
- Jet trainer
- Lead-in fighter training (LIFT)
- Light attack (Close Air Support)
- Aggressor for combat training
- Armed and unarmed reconnaissance
- Aerobatics
- Naval version for A/C carriers.
---
(May 7, 2021)
Radio Navigation Equipment (RNE) and its subsystems (TACAN / DME / VOR / ILS / ADF), which are currently supplied from abroad for the use of air platforms, are being developed with ASELSAN's own resources and with the subcontractor ESEN, and the Critical Design phase of the project has been completed.
Within the scope of the National Combat Aircraft Program, contract negotiations have been made for Flight Control System Sensors and Helmet Integrated Indicator, and the contracts are expected to be signed and come into effect in 2021.
Within the scope of the contract signed with TAI, studies for the integration of the Miniature Bomb, Intelligent Multi-Relief and Laser Guided Bomb to the National Combat Aircraft have started.
---
(May 10, 2021)
There are some places which has been working on RAM for a while (10-20+ years, some more recent)
Tübitak MAM (Material research center)
Hacettepe U. - Aselsan JV
Gebze Teknik U.
Kimetsan (private company)
Some of the firms/institutions has done several works for air/naval platforms and probably they will also be doing RAM- Paint /Coating studies for TF-X.
---
(May 27, 2021)
TF-X calender.
2023 rollout, production of more prototypes
2023-2025 ground tests, production of more prototypes
2025 first flight, production of more prototypes ( I expect 6 to 9 prototypes will be produced)
2025-2028 air tests and integration and testing of advanced subsystems/equipment and weapons(National EOTS, BURFIS etc)
2028 Inıtial delivery of TFX block 1 and LRIP production (With F110 engines probably 1 TFX per month it might be even less)
2028+ Updates, capacity, ability improvement at system and subsystem levels, more weapon integration, and national engine integration. Reaching initial operational capability(IOC)
2030+ Delivery of the first TF-X block 2 with the national engine, the start of serial production(2 per month for ~10 years for 250 fighters), reaching final operational capability (FOC)
Projected airforce in 2040s
250+ TF-X of various blocks
An unknown number of unmanned fighter jets( This is not MIUS it is a real unmanned supersonic fighter jet. It will be announced in 2026 it will be similar to Hurjet in size. It has a similar schedule to TF-X and will serve with the TF-X as a manned-unmanned combo)
F-16 Block 50+ maybe some leftover 50s all nationally modernized close to retirement.
F-16 block 30/40s and most of the 50s retired/used for spares.
---
(May 28, 2021)
Under construction phase. One subsonic and one trisonic wind tunnel.
TAI subsonic wind tunnel will be the second biggest of the Europe.
---
(Jun 11, 2021)
Temel Kotil pointed out that the MMU consists of 20 thousand parts and stated that a ready-made engine will be used at the beginning, and then the engine to be developed by TRMotor will be integrated into the aircraft.
---
(Jul 1, 2021)
TfX air to air engagements section, 5 different items were listed in presentation.
- Internal gun
- Bozdoğan WVR
- Gökdoğan BVR
- Gökhan Ramjet (Meteor type missile)
- Mızrak (Spear) missile (?)
---
https://defencehub.live/attachments/60dd81f049344_auto_x1_colored_toned_light_ai-jpg.24745/
https://defencehub.live/attachments/60dd81f046c70_auto_x1_colored_toned_light_ai-jpg.24748/
https://defencehub.live/attachments/60dd81f0465b7_auto_x1_colored_toned_light_ai-jpg.24749/
(Jul 21, 2021)
Integrated Electro Optic System(called BEOS in Turkish) development project was signed by aselsan in 2018
---
(Aug 10, 2021)
Temel kotil:
18th March 2023
- First flight of Hürjet
- First flight of T929 (heavy attack helicopter)
- Roll-out of TfX
(
All these events happening on 18th March 2023. Can you imagine? 
)
---
(Sep 7, 2021)
Ismail Demir has answered some critical questions on the TFX engine. He has stated that even though previously, we had some issues with RR on the production of an engine suitable for TFX, we are now in a position that these issues at present, are no longer valid. So the ball is at RR’s court. Going forward on the engine side he said there are options:
1. To jointly produce an engine with RR
2. To use an engine that is available at the moment. But there are none that will satisfy our performance needs.
3. To produce our own engine. In order to be self sufficient we have great emphasis on this.
---
(Sep 12, 2021)
Well, that is what "vanilla" AESA does. Our AESA is a little different. It has ESM and ECM capability which means it can be used to analyze the radar signals in the radar's frequency range and can be used as a jammer.
---
(Sep 25, 2021)
Defense Turkey: Sir, from the perspective of an aeronautical engineer, what do you think is the most challenging part of the MMU? Engine or avionics or something else?
Temel KOTİL: MMU is a total work. Our primary goal is to perform the first engine start on March 18, 2023. Our next goal is to take off the plane on March 18, 2025 and deliver our first plane on March 18, 2028. An airplane is like a living creature, neither easy nor difficult. We found and brought together people to do it, then we set up the necessary infrastructures, and then we do it like a normal business. It is not a miraculous job, but it requires labor-intensive, idea-intensive work, tears and sweat.
---
(Oct 3, 2021)
According to Temel Kotil the production of the first prototype for TF-X has begun.
Hürjet, T-929, TF-X, Göksungur.
TAI is busy.
Hope to see pictures in a couple of months of it on the production line.
---
(Oct 3, 2021)
2023 TAI
- TfX roll-out
- Hürjet first flight
- T929 first flight
- T629 (?)
- Air launched Göksungur (?) 2022
- Fighter drone (?)
2023 Bayraktar
---
(Oct 3, 2021)
Quite a few details on Hürjet.
- 4 different versions
- going to replace T38, F5 etc.
- initial 55, but expected over 100 Hürjets
- engine choice F404 due to single engine configuration, which EJ200 apparently didn’t have.
---
(Oct 19, 2021)
The MMU/TF-X Block-0, Block-I
(2029) and Block-II (2032) aircraft
will be powered by General Electric’s
F110 Turbofan Family (probably F110-
GE-129E version due to twin engine
configuration), and starting from
Block-III (2035) the aircraft will gain
true 5th Generation capabilities with
indigenous 35.000lb class turbofan
engines featuring stealthy exhaust
nozzles for low-observability.
---
(Oct 19, 2021)
Defence Turkey:
The MMU/TF-X will also have new generation features including Low
Ob s e r va b i l i t y, H i g h Maneuverability (to be better than F-16C), Internal Weapons Bays, External Weapons Carriage (for NATO and Indigenous weapons), Increased
Situational Awareness, Interoperability with AEW&C aircraft, UCAVs and AARs, Supercruise, Advanced Avionics for Sensor Fusion (5th Generation avionics suit), Intra Flight Data Link System (IFDL, to provide wide-band data-sharing [such as Radar, EOTS
and IRST data] capability during flight between TF-X aircraft as in the F-35 and F-22), Link-16,
S e m i - A u t o n o m o u s Operation Capability (semi-autonomous aircraft will provide necessary feedback to quarantine mission success to the pilot via HMDS, the TF-X will feature a capability that will ensure that even if a pilot that has died, the aircraft would be able to return to base safely thanks to Artificial Intelligence capability) a n d I n d e p e n d e n t Operation Capability (no need for other A/C).
---
(Oct 19, 2021)
TF141 turbofan engine for TfX. (35000lb)
"According to unconfirmed information
that I obtained from our sources Turkey (TR Motor Power Systems) will soon
sign a contract with Ivchenko Progress from Ukraine for cooperation in the development of 35.000lb class turbofan engine (dubbed TF-141) to power TF-X aircraft."
------------------------------------------ THE END ------------------------------------
Phew.. I didn't wrote any of the above myself but reading through 92 pages took a bit time. These are what I deem as important announcements and updates about the project. But since I'm a newbie, maybe you should go to the thread read it for yourself. I've done quite bit trimming. There are very intriguing technical discussion about everything about the project. I learned a lot but didn't even scratched the surface yet. Apart from the posts that I copy-pasted above there is a new development that's not written above. It's been announced on 8th October that the integration process of the new AESA radar of ASELSAN to the AKINCI drone has begun. So we'll see a drone flying with an AESA radar for the first time. This drone will have AA missile and EW capabilities. Next year our F16s(Block 30) will begin to be outfitted with AESA.
(I hope the images load without problem)
Thanks for reading
www.defensenews.com
