Türkiye’s Hurjet trainer aircraft set to replace Spain's aging fleet

Spain and Türkiye signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the procurement of Turkish indigenous Hurjet trainer aircraft, marking a significant step in bilateral defence cooperation.

The agreement, which comes after Spain's evaluation of the Hurjet prototype earlier this year, outlines the acquisition of 24 Hurjet aircraft to replace the Spanish Air Force's aging fleet of 19 SF-5M jet trainers, Turkish SavunmaSanayiST.com made a post on its official X account, Caliber.Az reports.  

T. C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı: “NATO müttefikimiz İspanya ile Jet Eğitim Uçağı Projesi’ne yönelik iş birliğimizin temelini oluşturacak Mutabakat Zaptı, Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığımız ile İspanya Savunma Bakanlığı arasında imzalandı.

Bu mutabakat zaptı; savunma sanayii alanında… https://t.co/DA8g8vjJxv pic.twitter.com/dtaVtqdH22

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) December 20, 2024

The Spanish evaluation of the Hurjet took place between July and August 2024 at Torrejon Air Base near Madrid. Although initially expected to inspect the aircraft in Türkiye, the Spanish delegation was instead hosted in Spain, where they closely examined the prototype.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Haluk Gorgun, Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries, expressed pride in the historic collaboration with Spain, a long-standing NATO ally.

"Today, we are proud to witness another historic step in the defence industry. The Memorandum of Understanding that will form the basis of our cooperation with our old NATO ally Spain on the Jet Training Aircraft Project was signed between our Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) and the Spanish Ministry of Defence," Gorgun said.

The exact details of the procurement have yet to be fully disclosed. However, the Spanish Ministry of Defence has confirmed Spain's industrial participation in the Hurjet program. Reports have suggested that Spain may offer Türkiye six A400M transport aircraft in exchange for the trainers, though this remains unconfirmed.

Spanish aerospace company Airtificial, based in Cádiz, has already been involved in the Hurjet project, manufacturing key flight control components for the aircraft. In April 2024, Airtificial announced a two-phase contract valued at $2.8 million to produce active and passive flight control arms for the Hurjet. It remains unclear if additional Spanish companies will participate following the MoU.

The Hurjet, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), is a twin-seat, single-engine supersonic jet trainer that also functions as a light attack aircraft. It first flew on April 25, 2023, and was designed to replace the Turkish Air Force's aging T-38M and NF-5A/B aircraft by the 2030s. The Hurjet will also complement the F-16 and is expected to serve with the Turkish Stars aerobatic team.

With a top speed of Mach 1.4 and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, the Hurjet is a high-performance aircraft, capable of carrying a 6,000 lb payload and offering a range of 1,200 nautical miles. It features state-of-the-art technology, including a digital fly-by-wire flight control system, a full glass cockpit with a heads-up display (HUD), and compatibility with helmet-mounted displays (HMD) and night vision imaging systems (NVIS). The aircraft is also equipped with an auxiliary power unit (APU) for autonomous operations and aerial refueling capability, making it highly versatile.

The Hurjet's development is still in progress, with the aircraft having completed its 100th test flight in August 2024. A second prototype, which flew in November 2024, introduced modifications including a new radome, altered air inlets, and the installation of wingtip missile rails.

Although the Hurjet is still in its developmental phase and has not yet entered serial production, TAI plans to begin production in 2025, with deliveries expected to start in 2026.

By Vafa Guliyeva