Through her recent management report presented to the Senate Defense Committee, Spain’s Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, provided a comprehensive overview of one of the main modernization programs of the Spanish Air and Space Force. More specifically, the minister reported on the scope, objectives, and investment involved in the acquisition and co-production of the new Hürjet advanced trainer aircraft, currently developed and manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries.
A necessary replacement
Since the 1970s, when the first light fighters rolled off CASA’s assembly line—the Northrop F-5B, and later its modernized version, the F-5M—these aircraft have served as the primary training platform for fighter pilots of the Air and Space Force.
With a total of 160,000 flight hours accumulated, the aircraft has played a fundamental role in the training of new generations of pilots tasked with defending Spanish airspace. However, the platform has been in service for several decades and now requires a replacement suited to current times and technological advancements, through the adoption of a new Integrated Training System (ITS).
Hürjet, the Turkish-made aircraft that will take over from the legendary F-5M
Last May, during the FEINDEF International Defense and Security Exhibition, and following various negotiations, Turkish Aerospace Industries and Airbus launched the path toward equipping the Air and Space Force with a new training platform through the co-production of the Hürjet, involving fifteen Spanish aerospace companies in the process.
According to Robles, the projected investment amounts to €1.375 billion, which “…will allow the development and acquisition of advanced training capabilities for fighter pilots.”
This new platform will be incorporated through the co-production of between 28 and 30 aircraft based on the TAI Hürjet, in a “Spanishized” version that will include equipment and systems produced by the Spanish defense industry to meet the specific requirements of the Air and Space Force. The program also includes the provision of a comprehensive ground-based training system.
Regarding the timeline for incorporating the new aircraft, the minister set the year 2028 for the delivery of the first six (6) units. Subsequently, by 2029, a total of 18 aircraft are expected to be in service, and the integration of the Ground-Based Training System is scheduled for 2031, by which time—although not explicitly stated—the full delivery of all planned aircraft would be completed.
Positive impact on the Spanish economy
Lastly, another aspect highlighted by the minister is the creation of both direct and indirect jobs in the regions of Madrid, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, the Basque Country, and Extremadura, with an estimated positive economic impact of “…€2.887 billion, generating 792 direct jobs and a total employment impact of 2,614 jobs.”
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