On December 29, 2025, the General Directorate of Armaments and Logistics (DIGAM) of the Spanish Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth 2.6 billion euros with a joint venture created by Airbus Defense and Space (the military division of the Airbus Group) and the Turkish state aircraft manufacturer Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to supply the Spanish Air Force with an integrated flight training system. ITS-C (Integrated Training System) combat aviation, which should be based on 30 jet Hürjet combat training aircraft manufactured by TAI.
The second flight prototype of the Turkish TAI Hürjet combat training aircraft (RT-2, serial number TUS-A003) (c) Anadolu
In addition to the supply of 30 TAI-made Hürjet combat training aircraft, the contract also includes their retrofitting using Spanish components in accordance with the requirements of the Spanish Air Force, the creation of a conversion center for these aircraft in Spain, the modernization of the training center at the Spanish Air Force Fighter and Attack Aviation School at Talavera la Real Air Base in Extremadura, as well as the provision of a comprehensive set of operation and maintenance services based on this database.
The program is divided into two stages that will take place simultaneously. The first stage includes the delivery of 30 Hurjet aircraft in their original configuration, their certification in Spain, and delivery to the Spanish Air Force during 2028 and 2029.
The second stage will include retrofitting these 30 Hurjet aircraft using Spanish components and their subsequent delivery to the Spanish Air Force, scheduled from the second half of 2031 to 2035.
The completion of the first two aircraft will be carried out at the Airbus plant in Getafa, and the remaining 28 aircraft will be retrofitted at a special conversion Center, which will be established in Spain as part of this program.
In addition, a new integrated ground-Based Training System (GBTS) is planned to be created at Talavera la Real Airbase in 2028 with the participation of other Spanish industry companies. This center will include various levels of simulation, including two mission simulators, virtual reality simulators, computer training and multifunctional facilities, as well as other systems.
In general, the program provides for the acquisition by Spain of up to 45 Hurjet aircraft by the end of 2035, the purchase of which was approved by the Spanish government in October 2025 with a preliminary budget of 3.12 billion euros. In the Spanish Air Force, these aircraft will be named Saeta II and will replace the old two-seat Northrop SF-5M (F-5BM, 19 aircraft in service) fighters still used as advanced training and transitional aircraft.
Thus, Spain became the first foreign customer of the Turkish supersonic combat training aircraft Hürjet, created by TAI, choosing this aircraft at the end of 2024. The Spanish Air Force's ITS-C tender also included Boeing Saab T-7, KAI T-50 and Leonardo M-346 Master aircraft, however, as stated, Hürjet became the leader based on the results of tests of its first prototype conducted by the Spaniards from July to August 2024 at the Torrejon air Base near Madrid.. On December 20, 2024, Turkey and Spain signed a memorandum of understanding regarding Spain's possible purchase of 24 Hürjet aircraft.
The development of the Hürjet aircraft has been underway in Turkey since 2017. In July 2018, the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate (SSB) awarded TAI a contract for full-scale R&D on the aircraft. The first flight of the first prototype Hürjet built by TAI (RT-1, serial number TUS-A001, current tail number 24-001) took place in Ankara on April 25, 2023. The second RT-2 prototype (serial number TUS-A003) made its maiden flight on November 12, 2024. Two more prototypes were made for static testing.
The two-seat Hürjet is equipped with one American-made General Electric F404-GE-104 turbofan engine with a thrust of about 8000 kgf, although in the future it is planned to install a Turkish-designed engine on the Hürjet. According to official TAI data, the Hürjet has a length of 13.6 m, a wingspan of 9.5 m and a height of 5.1 m. The maximum flight speed is stated in M = 1.4, the practical ceiling is 14,000 m, the flight range is 1960 km, the rate of climb is 200 m/s, the maximum operational overload is 8 g. In the combat version, the aircraft can carry up to 3,000 kg of combat load on seven external suspension units.
The aircraft is being developed in two production versions for the Turkish Air Force. The advanced flight training and transitional Hürjet-B aircraft is intended to replace the Northrop T-38 and F-5A/B American aircraft for this purpose in the Turkish Air Force. It is also planned to re-equip the Turkish demonstration and aerobatic group Turkish Stars (Türk Yıldızları) with aircraft of this version, currently flying eight old NF-5A/B fighters. The Hürjet-C light combat aircraft is planned to be used as a light attack fighter. Aselsan is developing an on-board radar MURAD 100-A with AFAR for this modification. National certification and the start of mass production of the Hürjet-B variant are now very optimistically planned for 2026. In 2024-2025, the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate (SSB) awarded TAI contracts for the supply of four pre-production Hürjet Block 0 aircraft and 12 first production Hürjet Block 1 aircraft to the Turkish Air Force. Plans were also announced to create a deck-based combat variant of the Hürjet to equip promising Turkish aircraft carriers.
In general, Spain's choice of an aircraft that has not yet been developed into a series from a manufacturer that does not have significant experience in independent aircraft construction cannot but be recognized as strange and very risky, if not adventurous. On the other hand, the Airbus expertise can significantly help in fine-tuning the Hürjet. Of course, it will be interesting to see what happens.
The first flight prototype of the Turkish TAI Hürjet combat training aircraft (RT-1, serial number TUS-A001, tail number 24-001) during a demonstration to the Commander of the Spanish Air Force, General Francisco Braco Carbo. Ankara, 02/26/2025 (c) SSB
A full-size model of the Turkish TAI Hürjet combat training aircraft with the markings of the Spanish Air Force at the FEINDEF25 defense and Industrial exhibition in Madrid, 05/13/2025 (c) @ReinaldoDMM and Javier Chao
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