Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has entered into a formal collaboration with Airbus to export the Hürjet, Turkey’s homegrown trainer jet, to Spain. Revealed at a defense exhibition in Istanbul, this agreement details each company’s part in supporting the Spanish government’s plan to expand its trainer aircraft fleet. Spain announced plans in 2024 to procure up to 30 Hürjet trainers along with related systems, involving some level of indigenous assembly. The conclusion of the sales contract is expected by year-end, and initial delivery is slated for 2028.
Once operational, these new jets will replace Madrid’s longstanding Northrop SF-5M trainers, which have served the Spanish Air Force since the 1960s. The Hürjet is a light supersonic aircraft developed to succeed Turkey’s Northrop T-38 Talon trainers and to complement the air support missions of F-16 fighters. It measures 14 meters in length with a wingspan of 10 meters, supporting a payload of up to 3,402 kilograms.
Equipped with a powerful GE F404 afterburning turbofan engine, the Hürjet can achieve speeds of Mach 1.4 (1,729 kilometers or 1,074 miles per hour). Its operational range spans 1,060 nautical miles (1,963 kilometers), and it can reach altitudes as high as 13,716 meters (45,000 feet). This makes the Hürjet a highly capable platform for advanced pilot training and light attack roles.
