Niger Air Force to get TAI Hurkus light attack aircraft from Turkey.

Niger becomes the first country in Africa to purchase Turkey’s Hurkus aircraft, Defense News Nigeria tweeted. This is the latest in a series of weapons Niger is acquiring from Turkey, a list that includes the Bayraktar TB2 drones and armored vehicles. Africa is gradually becoming Turkey's most important defence market, not just in the aviation sector but maritime as well. Turkish Dearsan Shipyard recently signed a contract with Nigeria to build two offshore patrol vessels.

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Hürkuş-C displayed at the Paris Air Show 2017 (Picture source: Wikipedia/Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia)

The TAI Hürkuş (Free Bird) turboprop aircraft has been developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as a new basic trainer and ground attack aircraft for the Turkish Armed Forces. The aircraft is named after Vecihi Hürkuş, a World War I and Turkish Independence War veteran pilot, a Turkish aviation pioneer and the first Turkish airplane manufacturer.

The Hürkuş is equipped for day and night flying as well as basic pilot training, instrument flying, navigation training, weapons and formation training. The aircraft offers good visibility from both cockpits with a 50-degree down-view angle from the rear cockpit, cabin pressurization (nominal 4.16 psid), Martin-Baker Mk T-16 N 0/0 ejection seats, an onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS), an Environmental Control System (Vapor Cycle Cooling), an anti-G system, high shock absorbing landing gear for training missions, and Hands-On Throttle and Stick (HOTAS). Microtecnica of Turin, Italy, was selected to provide the aircraft's environmental control system. The Hürkuş has been designed for a 35-year service life.

The Hurkus-C variant Niger is acquiring is a two-seat turboprop aircraft designed to carry out reconnaissance and light attack missions. It can carry 3,300 pounds of weaponry and take off from unprepared runways.

The Hurkus-C variant Niger is acquiring is designed to carry out reconnaissance and light attack missions (Picture source: TAI)