Türkiye displays HÜRJET combat aircraft in Spanish colours at exhibition in Madrid VIDEO

12 May 2025 19:58

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) has showcased a full-scale model of its HÜRJET advanced training and light combat aircraft, painted in the colours of the Spanish Air Force, at the FEINDEF'25 defence exhibition in Madrid.

The exhibition is expected to serve as a milestone for expanding military ties between the two nations. Spain is in the process of retiring its aging fleet of Northrop SF-5M (AE.9) aircraft, with plans to replace them with a modern jet training platform, Caliber.Az reports, citing the message of the Turkish defence news outlet SavunmaSanayiST.com on X.

TUSAŞ, İspanya'nın başkenti Madrid'de düzenlenen FEINDEF'25 Fuarı'nda, HÜRJET Jet Eğitim ve Hafif Taarruz Uçağı'nın tam ölçekli bir mock-up'ını, İspanyol Hava Kuvvetleri renkleriyle sergiliyor. 🇹🇷🇪🇸

Fuarda, HÜRJET ihracatı için önemli adımların atılması bekleniyor. https://t.co/nA1vLyfs3M pic.twitter.com/mTHwHGLwOG
— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) May 12, 2025

The HÜRJET aircraft, developed by TUSAŞ, was evaluated alongside other contenders, including the Boeing T-7, KAI T-50, and Leonardo M-346. In the end, the HÜRJET was selected as the preferred option for Spain’s jet training aircraft update programme.

This decision was followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Türkiye and Spain for the procurement of HÜRJET aircraft. In a symbolic gesture of deepening defence cooperation, Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu and Spanish Air Force Commander General Francisco Braco Carbo conducted a joint flight with two HÜRJET prototypes in February 2025.

The flight marked a new chapter in bilateral military relations, showcasing the countries' shared commitment to advancing their defence capabilities. In April 2024, TUSAŞ signed a 4.8-million-euro-contract ($5.3 million) with the Spanish company Airtificial to develop flight control sticks for the HÜRJET. The systems will be produced at Airtificial’s facilities in Seville, further solidifying the economic and technological partnership between the two countries.