Türkiye tests HAVA SOJ electronic warfare jet to protect fighters and drones in future wars.

Türkiye conducted a test flight of its HAVA SOJ electronic warfare aircraft with mission systems integrated before a full operational deployment planned by the end of 2026.

Türkiye conducted a test flight of its HAVA SOJ electronic warfare aircraft with mission systems integrated before a full operational deployment planned by the end of 2026. The HAVA SOJ program will deliver four stand-off electronic warfare aircraft, based on the Bombardier Global 6000 business jet, to suppress air defense radars and disrupt communications to support fighter jets and unmanned aircraft during future combat operations.
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Those four HAVA SOJ electronic warfare aircraft are meant to conduct electronic support and electronic attack functions against radars and communications, supporting Turkish operations without needing to enter hostile airspace. (Picture source: X/KaraKulak and Turkish MoD)

On March 1, 2026, Türkiye's HAVA SOJ electronic warfare jet was observed by KaraKulak during a test flight with its mission equipment integrated, marking a visible milestone before a full operational status targeted by the end of 2026. The HAVA SOJ program aims to deliver four dedicated stand-off jammer aircraft based on the Bombardier Global 6000 long-range business jet to conduct electronic support and electronic attack missions against radar and communication systems from outside hostile airspace. Development is conducted under the Secretariat of Defence Industries and includes not only aircraft conversion but also the establishment of hangars, squadron buildings, and a planning and training center.

The objective is to field radar and communications, electronic support, and electronic attack capabilities integrated onto the aircraft using domestically developed subsystems. The HAVA SOJ electronic warfare jets are intended to suppress adversary air defense radars, disrupt command and control cycles, and interfere with communications through deception and noise jamming while remaining outside threat envelopes. By degrading radar coverage and communications links, the aircraft are tasked with creating corridors through which friendly combat aircraft, such as the Kaan and UCAVs, can enter and exit contested airspace. The integrated system consists of the airborne HAVA SOJ and a ground-based planning and training center responsible for mission preparation, execution support, and post mission analysis.

Mission systems onboard the aircraft perform detection, identification, recognition, classification, direction finding, and positioning of complex land, air, and sea radar and communications emissions. Electronic attack functions employ jamming and deception techniques against traditional and newer generation emitters. Operations are conducted outside the radar and weapon engagement ranges of enemy air defense systems, with coordination between airborne and ground elements throughout mission cycles. The broader Turkish electronic warfare (EW) structure incorporates airborne, escort, and stand-in elements, combining the HAVA SOJ with several unmanned systems and airborne electronic warfare pods.

The UAV SOJ program, for instance, covers electronic warfare variants of the Akinci and Aksungur drones, with the Akinci oriented toward electronic attack missions due to higher onboard power generation and the Aksungur oriented toward electronic support roles linked to endurance. Ground-based systems previously employed by Türkiye include the Koral, Redet, Milkar, and Vural, while additional systems include Ares 2-A and Kartaca for electronic support, Kara Soj and Spews-II on F-16 jets, and Puhu 3-Lt and Karakulak for signal interception and analysis. Antidot and Bukalemun are also included as jamming and deception systems within the same structure. By 2026, this integrated EW architecture is intended to operate with the HAVA SOJ jet as the primary airborne stand-off element supporting manned and unmanned air assets. 

The Bombardier Global 6000 is part of the Global Express family, first announced in October 1991, with the prototype flying on October 13, 1996, Canadian type certification granted in July 1998, and entry into service in July 1999. The Global 6000 variant was announced in 2011 and entered production in 2012 as an upgrade of the Global Express XRS, replacing the Honeywell Primus 2000XP avionics with the Bombardier Vision flight deck based on the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion suite. The aircraft has a maximum range of 6,000 nautical miles, a service ceiling of 51,000 ft, and is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710A2-20 engines each rated at 14,750 lbf.

Fuel consumption figures are 5,000 lb in the first hour, 4,000 lb in the second, 3,000 lb in the third, and 2,500 lb for each subsequent hour. A checks are scheduled every 750 hours, and C checks every 30 months, with engine reserves of $260 per hour. In 2018, the unit cost was US$62.31 million, and more than 315 aircraft had been delivered by March 2019, with competitors including the Dassault Falcon 8X at 6,200 nmi, the Gulfstream G600 at 6,500 nmi, and the Gulfstream G650 at 6,900 nmi. Beyond the HAVA SOJ, the Bombardier Global Express has been adapted into multiple military and intelligence variants for airborne early warning, signals intelligence, surveillance, and communications relay missions.

For instance, the Saab GlobalEye integrates the Erieye ER AESA radar onto a Global 6000 airframe for airborne early warning and control, while Germany’s PEGASUS program selected the Global 6000 for signals intelligence missions. The Raytheon Sentinel R1, operated by the United Kingdom until March 2021, was based on the Global Express and configured for ground surveillance and reconnaissance. The U.S. Air Force operates the E-11A, a Global 6000 configured as a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, while the U.S. Army is fielding two intelligence aircraft based on the Global 6500, including ARES and the ME-11B, formerly linked to the HADES program. Other conversions include the Project Dolphin for the UAE, the DRDO ISTAR for the Indian Air Force, and maritime patrol concepts such as the PAL Aerospace P-6.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.