Turkiye Secures $3B Jet Trainer Deal with Spain

Spain has finalized a landmark €2.6 billion ($3.06 billion) agreement covering procurement of 30 units of Türkiye’s advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft Hürjet, a senior official announced on Monday. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the developer of Hürjet, and European aerospace giant Airbus signed a cooperation accord in July as part of the procurement negotiations.

This final deal represents the first foreign sale of the supersonic training jet, marking a transformative moment for Turkish aerospace exports and validating the technical maturity of indigenous Turkish aviation technology. Deliveries under the agreement are scheduled to commence in 2028, according to Haluk Görgün, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB). Görgün characterized the contract as “historic” and described it as a “high-value-added and multi-dimensional defense industry export package” that demonstrates Türkiye’s emergence as a credible supplier of sophisticated military aircraft.

Comprehensive Integrated Training Package

In late October, the Spanish government formally authorized procurement of a new system for modern fighter pilot training featuring a customized version of the supersonic Hürjet aircraft tailored to Spanish requirements. Alongside the 30 aircraft, the comprehensive agreement includes an integrated training architecture for advanced combat pilot training, sophisticated ground-based simulation and training systems, extensive maintenance and sustainment infrastructure, and long-term operational support elements.

This holistic approach ensures Spain receives not merely aircraft but a complete training ecosystem capable of producing highly skilled fighter pilots ready for transition to frontline combat aircraft like the Eurofighter Typhoon or future sixth-generation platforms. The package structure reflects modern defense procurement trends emphasizing lifecycle support and capability delivery rather than simple platform acquisition.

Hürjet Technical Specifications

The Hürjet project was initiated by Turkish Aerospace Industries in 2017 with the ambitious goal of developing a completely indigenous jet trainer. The first domestically developed jet trainer aircraft successfully performed its maiden flight in April 2023, validating design concepts and manufacturing capabilities. Hürjet features a single-engine configuration with tandem cockpit seating and a modern avionics suite incorporating advanced digital systems.

The aircraft was specifically designed to replace aging T-38 aircraft used for advanced jet training and F-5 jets employed in aerobatic displays within Turkish Air Force inventory. Hürjet measures 13.6 meters in length with a wingspan of 9.5 meters, offering a maximum operational altitude of 45,000 feet. The jet features an impressive 3,400-kilogram (7,500-pound) payload capacity and achieves a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, providing performance characteristics suitable for preparing pilots for supersonic combat aircraft operations.

Strategic Significance for Turkish Defense Industry

The fact that an aircraft designed and produced entirely with national resources will enter the inventory of a European Union and NATO member country “clearly demonstrates the level our defense industry has reached in the fields of design, production, system integration, certification and sustainability,” emphasized Görgün. This achievement represents validation from a sophisticated Western military customer with demanding technical standards and rigorous certification requirements.

“With Hürjet, our country has attained a structure that produces and exports high technology and has a voice in the global market in the field of air platforms, while our defense industry exports are being carried to a new threshold in terms of both quality and scale,” Görgün noted. The Spanish contract establishes Türkiye as a legitimate competitor in the advanced trainer aircraft market, traditionally dominated by established Western manufacturers.

Explosive Growth in Turkish Defense Exports

Türkiye’s defense and aviation exports surged 30% year-over-year in the first eleven months of the year, reaching nearly $7.45 billion and already surpassing the full-year total of $7.2 billion achieved in 2024. The industry is widely expected to reach and likely exceed $8 billion by year-end, according to sector analysts and government officials. Officials previously indicated shipments would “easily” surpass that level, which would represent a remarkable 250% increase from $2.28 billion recorded in 2020. This explosive growth trajectory reflects growing international confidence in Turkish defense products, competitive pricing, and willingness to transfer technology factors that distinguish Turkish suppliers from traditional Western manufacturers often constrained by political considerations or restrictive export policies.

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Transformation from Dependency to Self-Sufficiency

Years of sustained investment have fundamentally transformed Türkiye from a country heavily reliant on foreign defense systems to one where domestically developed platforms meet nearly all operational needs. For much of the past two decades, Ankara expressed frustration over Western allies’ failure to provide adequate defense systems against missile threats despite Türkiye’s NATO membership and strategic importance. This denial of critical systems, particularly following the 2016 coup attempt, catalyzed determination to achieve defense independence.

The transformation initiated in the early 2000s has driven development of a comprehensive range of homegrown air, land, and naval platforms, dramatically reducing foreign dependency from approximately 80% to below 20% today. The proven capabilities of Turkish defense platforms, particularly its revolutionary combat drones that demonstrated effectiveness in conflicts across multiple theaters, helped secure billions of dollars in export contracts in recent years. The Hürjet deal represents the next evolution exporting not just unmanned systems but sophisticated manned aircraft to discerning Western customers.

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