Spain is modernizing its military pilot training with 45 Turkish Hürjets and strengthening Airbus on six major aeronautical programs.
Summary
Spain has approved a €3.7 billion military modernization plan over five years (2025-2030) to strengthen pilot training, air transport, and helicopters. The core of the program is the purchase of 30 Hürjets from manufacturer TUSAŞ, with an option for 15 additional aircraft, to replace the aging C-101s and F-5Bs. Airbus Defence and Space will integrate these jets in Spain to meet Air Force standards. The plan also includes the acquisition of C295 transport platforms and several families of NH90, H135, H175, and HELIPO helicopters. This decision reflects a strategic choice: to combine competitive international procurement with the strengthening of the national industrial base in order to support technological sovereignty and ensure the continuity of fighter pilot training for the FCAS era.
A €3.7 billion modernization program
The Royal Decree of September 24, 2025 commits €3.7 billion to six air defense and mobility programs. The government has directly awarded the projects to Airbus Defence and Space and Airbus Helicopters Spain, strengthening Airbus’s position as a national industrial hub.
The plan provides for:
- €1.04 billion for the ITS-C (Hürjet) advanced training system;
- €520 million for ITS-T (C295) air mobility training;
- €1 billion for Phase 3 of the NH90 Air Mobility program;
- €100 million for Phase 2 of the H135 Training and Support Helicopter;
- €920 million for the HELIPO, a light multi-purpose helicopter for training;
- €100 million for the HACES program, based on the H175.
The entire project is to be completed between 2025 and 2030, with an estimated impact of several thousand jobs in the Spanish aerospace industry and technological spin-offs in the assembly and maintenance chains.
The choice of the Hürjet: a turning point for advanced training
The Spanish Air Force needs to replace 46 C-101 Aviojets (which entered service in 1980) and 19 F-5Bs (which entered service in 1968), all of which are obsolete in terms of the training requirements for pilots destined for the Eurofighter Typhoon and the future fighter aircraft of the FCAS program.
The Hürjet, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), is a two-seat advanced jet trainer with:
- a maximum speed of Mach 1.4,
- a service ceiling of 13,700 m,
- a payload of approximately 2,700 kg,
- digital avionics compatible with modern fighters.
These features allow trainees to familiarize themselves with supersonic procedures and integrated systems before moving on to more complex fighters. The expected unit cost of less than €25 million was a deciding factor in favor of this aircraft over competing offers such as the Italian M-346 Master and the American T-7A Red Hawk.
The partnership provides for initial production in Turkey, followed by integration and adaptation in Spain under the supervision of Airbus, thus ensuring that local skills in logistical support and training are maintained.
An ambitious schedule and industrial sharing
The first Hürjet aircraft are scheduled to enter service with the Turkish Air Force in 2027, followed by Spanish deliveries in 2028. Final assembly and configuration specific to Spanish requirements will be carried out at Airbus Defence and Space facilities.
This arrangement offers Madrid:
- logistical support autonomy;
- industrial benefits for maintenance and software adaptation;
- the possibility of integrating European communications and electronic warfare equipment.
For Turkey, this is a major export success that consolidates the credibility of its aerospace sector. For Spain, it is a sign of pragmatism: favoring an aircraft that is available quickly and at a competitive cost, while maintaining added value on national soil.
The impact on pilot training
The key challenge for the ITS-C is to ensure the transition between the turboprop training aircraft (Pilatus PC-21) and the Eurofighter multi-role fighter or the future aircraft of the FCAS program.
The Hürjet offers a modern platform for:
- learning supersonic flight,
- integrated systems management (radar, data links, self-protection);
- air-to-air and air-to-ground firing training on connected simulators.
This pedagogical consistency will reduce the number of flight hours on expensive fighters and lower training costs. Analysts estimate that a training flight on the Eurofighter costs more than €40,000 per hour, compared to less than €7,000 on the Hürjet. The budgetary savings are therefore substantial, while the quality of training is improved.
Industrial and strategic implications for Airbus
Although the aircraft chosen is Turkish, the decision reinforces Airbus‘s position as a key player in Spanish aerospace defense. Integration, maintenance, and technical training will be carried out by Airbus Defence and Space Spain, while Airbus Helicopters Spain will focus on the helicopter fleet.
These projects will support:
- skilled employment in key industrial regions such as Seville and Albacete,
- technology transfer for the modernization of training infrastructure,
- the participation of Spanish SMEs in logistics support chains.
This hybrid model, combining foreign procurement and national integration, reflects the government’s orientation: strengthening industrial sovereignty without excluding competitive solutions from other allied countries.
The consequences for Spain’s air force posture
The modernization of training aircraft is essential to prepare the next generation of pilots for 2030-2040, when the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS is expected to enter service. Without a coherent training program, the transition of pilots to 6th generation systems would be delayed.
In addition, the Hürjet is capable of light support or armed patrol missions, a useful option in the event of a crisis or to reinforce engagements in low-threat theaters abroad. This versatility gives the Air Force a certain operational flexibility, even if it is not its main mission.
The entire modernization plan, including the NH90 and HELIPO, aims to improve national responsiveness for strategic transport, medical evacuation, and support operations for European allies.
Regional and international prospects
Spain has become the first European customer for the Hürjet, giving the program increased visibility on the global market for advanced training aircraft, estimated at more than €12 billion over the decade 2025-2035.
This decision could influence other European countries facing the replacement of their Alpha Jets or MB-339s. It also reflects a diversification of suppliers: beyond European and American manufacturers, Turkey is establishing itself as a credible partner for medium-cost equipment.
For the European Union, this move illustrates the tension between strategic autonomy and openness to external partners when budgetary and scheduling constraints take precedence.
A pragmatic but revealing choice
The Hürjet program in Spain reflects a trade-off: preserving budgetary competitiveness while maintaining a solid national industrial base. It also shows that European countries, despite their desire for strategic autonomy, are willing to cooperate with non-traditional partners when this accelerates their programs.
This choice could also push European manufacturers to offer more competitive solutions for advanced training, a segment where supply remains limited and costly. Increased competition could ultimately benefit other European air forces facing aging training fleets.
War Wings Daily is an independant magazine.