Pakistan Delivers 52 Super Mushshak Trainer Aircraft to Turkey

Turkey has completed the induction of 52 MFI-395 Super Mushshak basic trainer aircraft produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).

PAC finalized deliveries of the 52 aircraft ordered by Turkey during the 2016 IDEAS Defence Fair in Karachi. The project was formally contracted in 2017 after negotiations led by Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries, with preliminary agreements signed in November 2016 and the final contract concluded at the IDEF 2017 defense exhibition in Istanbul.

Delivery was completed by December 2025, Scramble Magazine reported. It was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the first three aircraft arriving in Yalova in October 2022. Subsequent deliveries were carried out in phases, and the full fleet was completed by the end of 2025. Early aircraft underwent acceptance and flight-line testing at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities before being transferred to operational units.

The Super Mushshak is now primarily operated by the 123rd Squadron at Izmir Cigli Air Base, while additional aircraft are assigned to the 126th Squadron at Istanbul Ataturk Airport and to units in Yalova. With the aircraft’s introduction, the Turkish Air Force is expected to retire its Cessna T-41D Mescalero trainers and the Italian-designed SF-260D aircraft used for basic flight training.

The MFI-395 Super Mushshak is derived from the Saab MFI-15 design, for which Pakistan acquired production rights before developing the aircraft through PAC. The platform is a lightweight, single-engine trainer powered by a 260-horsepower Textron Lycoming piston engine, featuring a glass cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear, and the ability to operate from short and unprepared runways. It has a maximum speed of about 365 km/h and is used for initial pilot training.