The final signatures for the export of Hürjet training aircraft to Spain were executed in Madrid on April 28, with significant details regarding the terms of the agreement now coming to light. The Spanish industry will receive the lion’s share of production, with a 60% stake.
“Turkey's participation is indispensable to us, but this is not a turnkey project,” said Jean Brice Dumont, head of Air Power at Airbus Defense and Space.
The prime contractor for the program is not Turkish Aerospace (TA) — formerly known as Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI-TUSAŞ) — but rather Airbus, a partnership involving France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. Hürjet-based aircraft will be produced partly in Turkey and partly in Spain, and will be designated as SAETA II.
While the Spanish government initially approved a budget of 3.12 billion euros for the production of 45 aircraft at most, the agreement at this stage covers the production of 30 aircraft for a total of 2.6 billion euros.
“We have created a program that satisfies both Turkey and Spain in every respect,” said Haluk Görgün, head of the Turkish Defense Presidency.
DELIVERIES TO BEGIN IN 2028
Designed and manufactured by TA in Ankara, the single-engine, tandem-seat Hürjet was developed for advanced jet training missions for pilots prior to their transition to modern fighter jets, and made its first flight in 2023. The first aircraft is scheduled to enter the Turkish Air Force (TAF) inventory in 2027.
The Hürjet is set to replace T-38 trainers in the TAF and F-5s in the Spanish Air Force. Deliveries for Spain are planned between 2028 and 2035. Aircraft completing their production phase in Turkey will undergo integration of next-generation avionics and mission equipment at the Airbus Defence and Space facilities in Spain. In this regard, the SAETA IIs are projected to enter service in Spain starting as early as 2030.
AIRBUS WILL LEAD THE PROJECT
“We will lead the development and manufacture of this system to ensure Spanish pilots are expertly prepared for the digital battlefield. In addition to converting and integrating new equipment into the aircraft, Airbus will lead the redesign of the Fighter and Attack School Training Centre at Talavera la Real Air Base in Extremadura,” Airbus said in a press release.
The first step toward the sale of Hürjet from Turkey to Spain was taken in May 2025 with an industrial cooperation memorandum signed between TA, Airbus, and Spanish defense industry companies. An agreement on the program’s management model was signed at the international defense and aerospace fair IDEF in July 2025, and the project was approved by the Spanish government on Oct. 28, 2025.
TRANSITION TO EUROFIGHTER
The SAETA II jet trainer will provide a transition to the Eurofighter Typhoon for Spanish fighter pilots. The TAF is preparing to add Typhoons to its inventory in the coming years as well. Also, a new version of the Hürjet, which is under development for armed close air support and light attack missions, is planned to begin service in the TAF starting in the second half of the 2030s. The TAF also intends to replace the F-5 aircraft of the Turkish Stars aerobatic team with the Hürjet.
With a length of 13.6 meters and a payload capacity of 2,721 kg, the Hürjet can reach a speed of Mach 1.4 (1,728 km/h) and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet (13,716 m). The aircraft is powered by one US-made General Electric F404 Turbofan engine. There are differing opinions regarding whether the engines for the Hürjets to be produced for the TAF will encounter obstacles due to US CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions, but the US has approved GE to supply engines for the aircraft to be exported to Spain.
The US, which has been implementing CAATSA sanctions on Turkey since 2019 due to the purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia, had also removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program. Alongside the Hürjet, Ankara continues to negotiate with Washington for the lifting of CAATSA sanctions to enable the integration of US-made F110 engines into its domestically developed Kaan fighter jets.
AIRBUS'S PROFIT FELLS BY 52% IN THE FIRST QUARTER
Meanwhile, Airbus underperformed market expectations due to delays in commercial aircraft deliveries in the first quarter of 2026. The company’s adjusted operating profit fell by 52% compared to the same period last year, dropping to 300 million euros.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury cited delays in engine deliveries from the US-based supplier Pratt & Whitney as the primary cause of the poor performance.
In the first quarter of the year, Airbus delivered only 114 commercial aircraft, falling short of the 136 deliveries made in the same period last year. This figure also fell short of the 143 aircraft delivered by its US rival Boeing during the same period.
PERSPECTIVE OF EMPLOYMENT
The Hürjet project is expected to provide employment for 2,500 workers in Spain, particularly in Airbus facilities.
