Spain to acquire dozens of Turkish Hürjet trainer jets In a billion-dollar deal / PHOTO

Spain has announced plans to procure 45 Hürjet advanced trainer aircraft from Türkiye, according to Turkish media.

The Spanish Council of Ministers approved Royal Decree 848/2025, allocating €1.04 billion ($1.2 billion) in interest-free loans to Airbus Defence and Space for the purchase. This acquisition forms part of a broader €3.68 billion defence modernisation program, which aims to introduce 168 new aircraft and helicopters by 2030.

The Hürjet jets will replace Spain’s ageing F-5M trainer fleet under the Advanced Flight Integrated Training System (ITS-C) program. The aircraft will be tailored to Spanish Air Force requirements, with contributions from domestic aerospace and defence companies.

Initial production will take place at TUSAŞ facilities in Türkiye, followed by retrofitting at Airbus Defence and Space plants in Spain. This process will integrate Spanish-developed systems and upgraded training capabilities.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028, with the first aircraft available for pilot familiarisation and training in the 2029/2030 academic year. Full operational capability for the Spanish-configured jets is expected by 2031.

By Khagan Isayev