Spain has initiated plans to replace its legacy F-5 trainers with 30 Turkish-built Hürjet advanced jet trainers, anchoring a broader transformation of the Spanish Air and Space Force’s combat pilot training pipeline.
The Spanish Ministry of Defence has appointed Airbus Defence and Space to lead the development of a new Integrated Training System for Combat, with Turkish Aerospace responsible for supplying the Hürjet aircraft. The program is structured as an end-to-end training solution, encompassing aircraft acquisition, simulation systems, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term support.
Under the acquisition strategy, the Hürjet aircraft will be delivered in an initial standard configuration and subsequently modified to meet Spanish-specific requirements. Acting as national integrator, Airbus will oversee the conversion process, establish a dedicated aircraft conversion facility in Spain, and upgrade the Fighter and Attack School at Talavera la Real Air Base.
The first Hürjets are expected to be delivered in 2028–2029 after Spanish certification. Conversion work will follow, with two aircraft upgraded at Airbus’ Getafe site and the remaining 28 converted at the new domestic conversion center. Final handover of the fleet is planned between late 2031 and 2035.
Designed as a supersonic, two-seat advanced trainer, the Hürjet fills the training gap between elementary flight instruction and operational combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. The aircraft incorporates advanced avionics, digital cockpit systems, and flight performance characteristics intended to closely mirror those of modern fighters.
The Hürjet’s open-system architecture enables flexible integration of mission systems, training software, and onboard simulation tailored to national training concepts. When combined with ground-based simulators and virtual environments, the platform supports complex mission rehearsal while reducing flying hours, lowering costs, and improving training effectiveness.
