Spain has formalised an agreement covering 30 HÜRJET jet trainers as part of a broader shift toward an integrated “combat training system” rather than a standalone aircraft purchase. The programme is led by Airbus Defence and Space, with Turkish Aerospace as the manufacturer of HÜRJET, and is designed to replace Spain’s current F-5 training fleet while covering the full advanced training pipeline for combat pilots.
Reported contract values vary by source, commonly cited around €2.6 billion, with some reporting closer to €2.4 billion—differences that likely reflect how the package bundles aircraft, training architecture, sustainment, and infrastructure. What matters operationally is the structure: Spain is buying a system-of-systems approach for training, where aircraft, simulators, ground-based instruction and long-term availability are treated as one programme.
Airbus states the scope includes:
- Acquisition of 30 HÜRJET aircraft
- Conversion of the fleet with Spanish-required “national content”
- Establishment of an Aircraft Conversion Centre in Spain
- Refurbishment of the training centre at Talavera la Real Air Base (Extremadura)
- An integrated operations and maintenance services package at the base
The schedule is framed in two stages running in parallel. Stage one covers delivery of the 30 aircraft in an initial configuration, certification in Spain, and handover across 2028 and 2029. Stage two focuses on converting all 30 aircraft with Spanish content and delivering them in the second half of 2031 through 2035. Airbus notes that the first two conversions are planned at Getafe, while the remaining 28 would be converted at the new Conversion Centre to be established in Spain.
From Turkey’s perspective, Reuters reports the agreement as a high-value, multi-dimensional export package that includes not only the aircraft but also integrated training architecture, maintenance infrastructure and long-term operational support, with exports starting from 2028. That framing is important: advanced trainers increasingly compete as ecosystem offers—platform + training + sustainment—rather than as airframes alone.
Bottom line: the Spain–HÜRJET deal is as much about building a modern combat pilot training pipeline (ITS-C) as it is about acquiring 30 jets. The next signals to watch will be certification milestones, the rollout of ground-based training systems, and how quickly Spain’s national-content conversion line stands up.