Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines. Tony has covered avionics, unmanned vehicles, the supply chain and cyberwarfare.
Turkey is awaiting the imminent maiden flight of the Hurkus, a turboprop training aircraft named for one of the country's greatest aviation pioneers. Vecihi Hurkus is the most celebrated Turkish aviator, who achieved many of the country's aeronautical firsts. As well as being the first Turk to shoot down an enemy aircraft, he was also the first to design and build an indigenous aircraft in the 1920s. But his numerous designs failed to move beyond the prototype stage.
Over the last two decades, Turkey has modernized its air force with “off-the-shelf” combat aircraft and weaponry, but it has been sorely limited in what it could procure.
