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The Turkish Air Force's (TAF) newly established 403rd Test Squadron Command has completed its first flight, flying an F-16 at Murted Air Base together with Turkish Aerospace Industries' (TAI) Flight Test Directorate, Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The squadron operates under the Air and Space Power Development Center Command (HUGEM), set up in 2025 to institutionalize the Air Force's platform development and flight test capabilities, the ministry said on its X account.
The squadron will take part in development and certification flight tests of Türkiye's national fighter and trainer jets, KAAN and Hurjet, giving the Air Force its own experimental test capability as the aircraft move toward service.
The 403rd Test Squadron Command will participate in development and certification flight tests of national fighter aircraft such as KAAN and Hurjet developed by TAI with Experimental Test Pilots and Flight Test engineers, utilizing methods used in government-affiliated test units in all aircraft-producing countries.
The squadron will coordinate with manufacturers during the planning and execution phases and take part in verifying performance, safety, and operational capability.
The Turkish Air Force operates approximately 240 F-16s and around 20 F-4s.
Türkiye signed a procurement contract for the fifth-generation KAAN at the SAHA 2026 defense exhibition, with the jet set to replace F-16s in the Air Force starting in the 2030s.
TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu said last week that KAAN's P1 prototype could fly before the end of this year.
Hurjet, TAI's jet trainer and light combat aircraft, has also been selected by Spain to replace its aging F-5 trainers.
TAI has said deliveries will begin to the Turkish Air Force at the end of 2027 and to Spain at the end of 2028.
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