Spain to replace US F-5 jets with 45 new Turkish Hürjet light attack aircraft
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Spain approved the purchase of up to 45 Turkish Hürjet trainer jets to replace its aging U.S.-made F-5M fleet, with first deliveries scheduled in 2028.
The Spanish government confirmed on September 24, 2025, that it will acquire up to 45 Hürjet light attack and trainer aircraft from Turkish Aerospace in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space España. The $1.1 billion program replaces the U.S.-built F-5M fleet and includes Spanish customization, ground-based simulators, and a 30-year service plan based at Talavera la Real Air Base.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The TAI Hürjet, a supersonic advanced trainer and light combat aircraft, can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 and operate up to 45,000 feet, thanks to a General Electric F404-GE-102 turbofan engine producing about 17,000 pounds of thrust. (Picture source: TAI)
According to the government funding approval published on 24 September 2025, Spain has approved the acquisition of up to 45 Hürjet aircraft for its new Sistema de Enseñanza Integrado en Vuelo Avanzado, known as ITS-C, which will replace the F-5M (AE.9) advanced trainer fleet of the Spanish Air and Space Force. The program will be based on a joint venture (Unión Temporal de Empresas) between Turkish Aerospace (TA) and Airbus Defence and Space España, with Airbus acting as the national coordinator and main contractor. The Hürjet airframes will be produced in Turkey before being transferred to Spain for conversion and customization to national requirements, including the integration of avionics, systems, and equipment developed by the Spanish industry. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2028, with the system operating from Talavera la Real Air Base in Badajoz and designed to remain in service for at least 30 years.
The financing structure is set through Real Decreto 848/2025, which grants a pre-financing loan of €1.04 billion by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to Airbus Defence and Space España for production, conversion, and integration. Payments are scheduled across five years: €353 million in 2025, €173 million in 2026, €183 million in 2027, €183 million in 2028, and €148 million in 2029. Earlier parliamentary discussions in June 2025 had referred to a purchase of between 28 and 30 aircraft, with a program cost of €1.375 billion, but the final approval raised the ceiling to 45 aircraft. The May 2025 Memorandum of Understanding signed between Airbus España, Turkish Aerospace, and Spanish industrial partners during FEINDEF established the framework for industrial cooperation, and this was later expanded at IDEF 2025. Alongside the aircraft, the ITS-C will include a ground-based training system, lifecycle support, and Spanish integration work performed by Airbus and a wide network of subcontractors.
The schedule foresees initial deliveries starting in 2028, with the first aircraft used for familiarization and training courses from the 2029–2030 academic year. Spanish-modified aircraft integrating national avionics and systems are expected to be delivered beginning in 2031. All training activities will be concentrated at Talavera la Real Air Base, home of the Fighter and Attack School, which will be expanded to host the ITS-C aircraft and simulators. The training system has been structured to ensure continuous pilot progression as the F-5M is retired. Officials have indicated that in the event of delays or shortages of the current F-5M fleet, Spanish pilots may be temporarily sent abroad to allied training centers in Italy or France. The system is intended to ensure long-term sustainability of advanced fighter pilot training, with the government decree explicitly stating an expected operational life of at least three decades.
The F-5M has served as the advanced jet trainer in Spain since the 1970s, with airframes delivered under a CASA production program. The aircraft, designated AE.9 in Spanish service, has undergone several life extension and modernization efforts to sustain operations, including avionics upgrades, but by the mid-2020s, availability and obsolescence issues became significant. The fleet numbers around 19 aircraft and operates exclusively from Ala 23 at Talavera la Real. The type provided cost-effective supersonic training for generations of Spanish pilots, but its original systems design reflects 1960s technology, limiting its relevance for transition to fourth- and fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Retirement of the F-5M had been extended multiple times, with service life previously planned to end by 2028 and later pushed into 2030, but the introduction of the Hürjet-based ITS-C now provides a definitive replacement pathway.
The Hürjet itself is a supersonic advanced trainer and light combat aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace. It first flew on 25 April 2023 and has since conducted more than one hundred test flights, including a formation flight with the Turkish Stars aerobatic team and a transonic flight test at Mach 0.9 and 30,000 feet. In July 2024, a Hürjet prototype flew to Spain for evaluation as part of the tender process to replace the F-5M, landing at Torrejón Air Base after stops in several European locations. On 26 February 2025, Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu and Spanish Air Force Commander General Francisco Braco Carbo flew a joint formation with Hürjet prototypes. The program also benefited from U.S. Congressional approval for the export of the General Electric F404 engine, with Turkish company TEI providing assembly, maintenance, repair, and logistics support.
The Hürjet can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.2, climb to a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, and is powered by a General Electric F404-GE-102 engine producing approximately 17,000 pounds of thrust. It features digital fly-by-wire controls, multifunction cockpit displays, and an integrated onboard training system. The aircraft has a wide flight envelope suitable for fighter pilot training, low operation and maintenance costs, and compatibility with a wide range of munitions, enabling use in light combat operations. It is also designed to perform aerobatic patrol and Red Air aggressor missions, increasing its versatility. A comprehensive Ground-Based Training System will complement the aircraft, integrating simulators, synthetic training environments, and a Training Management System linking real aircraft with virtual platforms to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.
Compared to the F-5M, the Hürjet provides a significantly more modern training environment. Its avionics suite, digital flight control systems, and compatibility with advanced weapons reflect technologies aligned with current and future frontline fighters. The integrated ITS-C, combining aircraft and ground systems, ensures a training approach not possible with the F-5M, which lacked such synthetic integration. The lower operating cost and extended service horizon of the Hürjet also provide long-term sustainability advantages. For Spain, the introduction of the Hürjet means a shift from maintaining a legacy U.S.-built platform toward operating a jointly developed system with Turkey, anchored in national industrial participation. This represents a generational leap in pilot training capability, aligning with NATO standards and ensuring Spanish pilots transition to a platform closer in performance and systems to the aircraft they will fly operationally.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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Spain approved the purchase of up to 45 Turkish Hürjet trainer jets to replace its aging U.S.-made F-5M fleet, with first deliveries scheduled in 2028.
The Spanish government confirmed on September 24, 2025, that it will acquire up to 45 Hürjet light attack and trainer aircraft from Turkish Aerospace in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space España. The $1.1 billion program replaces the U.S.-built F-5M fleet and includes Spanish customization, ground-based simulators, and a 30-year service plan based at Talavera la Real Air Base.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The TAI Hürjet, a supersonic advanced trainer and light combat aircraft, can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 and operate up to 45,000 feet, thanks to a General Electric F404-GE-102 turbofan engine producing about 17,000 pounds of thrust. (Picture source: TAI)
According to the government funding approval published on 24 September 2025, Spain has approved the acquisition of up to 45 Hürjet aircraft for its new Sistema de Enseñanza Integrado en Vuelo Avanzado, known as ITS-C, which will replace the F-5M (AE.9) advanced trainer fleet of the Spanish Air and Space Force. The program will be based on a joint venture (Unión Temporal de Empresas) between Turkish Aerospace (TA) and Airbus Defence and Space España, with Airbus acting as the national coordinator and main contractor. The Hürjet airframes will be produced in Turkey before being transferred to Spain for conversion and customization to national requirements, including the integration of avionics, systems, and equipment developed by the Spanish industry. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2028, with the system operating from Talavera la Real Air Base in Badajoz and designed to remain in service for at least 30 years.
The financing structure is set through Real Decreto 848/2025, which grants a pre-financing loan of €1.04 billion by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to Airbus Defence and Space España for production, conversion, and integration. Payments are scheduled across five years: €353 million in 2025, €173 million in 2026, €183 million in 2027, €183 million in 2028, and €148 million in 2029. Earlier parliamentary discussions in June 2025 had referred to a purchase of between 28 and 30 aircraft, with a program cost of €1.375 billion, but the final approval raised the ceiling to 45 aircraft. The May 2025 Memorandum of Understanding signed between Airbus España, Turkish Aerospace, and Spanish industrial partners during FEINDEF established the framework for industrial cooperation, and this was later expanded at IDEF 2025. Alongside the aircraft, the ITS-C will include a ground-based training system, lifecycle support, and Spanish integration work performed by Airbus and a wide network of subcontractors.
The schedule foresees initial deliveries starting in 2028, with the first aircraft used for familiarization and training courses from the 2029–2030 academic year. Spanish-modified aircraft integrating national avionics and systems are expected to be delivered beginning in 2031. All training activities will be concentrated at Talavera la Real Air Base, home of the Fighter and Attack School, which will be expanded to host the ITS-C aircraft and simulators. The training system has been structured to ensure continuous pilot progression as the F-5M is retired. Officials have indicated that in the event of delays or shortages of the current F-5M fleet, Spanish pilots may be temporarily sent abroad to allied training centers in Italy or France. The system is intended to ensure long-term sustainability of advanced fighter pilot training, with the government decree explicitly stating an expected operational life of at least three decades.
The F-5M has served as the advanced jet trainer in Spain since the 1970s, with airframes delivered under a CASA production program. The aircraft, designated AE.9 in Spanish service, has undergone several life extension and modernization efforts to sustain operations, including avionics upgrades, but by the mid-2020s, availability and obsolescence issues became significant. The fleet numbers around 19 aircraft and operates exclusively from Ala 23 at Talavera la Real. The type provided cost-effective supersonic training for generations of Spanish pilots, but its original systems design reflects 1960s technology, limiting its relevance for transition to fourth- and fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Retirement of the F-5M had been extended multiple times, with service life previously planned to end by 2028 and later pushed into 2030, but the introduction of the Hürjet-based ITS-C now provides a definitive replacement pathway.
The Hürjet itself is a supersonic advanced trainer and light combat aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace. It first flew on 25 April 2023 and has since conducted more than one hundred test flights, including a formation flight with the Turkish Stars aerobatic team and a transonic flight test at Mach 0.9 and 30,000 feet. In July 2024, a Hürjet prototype flew to Spain for evaluation as part of the tender process to replace the F-5M, landing at Torrejón Air Base after stops in several European locations. On 26 February 2025, Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu and Spanish Air Force Commander General Francisco Braco Carbo flew a joint formation with Hürjet prototypes. The program also benefited from U.S. Congressional approval for the export of the General Electric F404 engine, with Turkish company TEI providing assembly, maintenance, repair, and logistics support.
The Hürjet can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.2, climb to a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, and is powered by a General Electric F404-GE-102 engine producing approximately 17,000 pounds of thrust. It features digital fly-by-wire controls, multifunction cockpit displays, and an integrated onboard training system. The aircraft has a wide flight envelope suitable for fighter pilot training, low operation and maintenance costs, and compatibility with a wide range of munitions, enabling use in light combat operations. It is also designed to perform aerobatic patrol and Red Air aggressor missions, increasing its versatility. A comprehensive Ground-Based Training System will complement the aircraft, integrating simulators, synthetic training environments, and a Training Management System linking real aircraft with virtual platforms to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.
Compared to the F-5M, the Hürjet provides a significantly more modern training environment. Its avionics suite, digital flight control systems, and compatibility with advanced weapons reflect technologies aligned with current and future frontline fighters. The integrated ITS-C, combining aircraft and ground systems, ensures a training approach not possible with the F-5M, which lacked such synthetic integration. The lower operating cost and extended service horizon of the Hürjet also provide long-term sustainability advantages. For Spain, the introduction of the Hürjet means a shift from maintaining a legacy U.S.-built platform toward operating a jointly developed system with Turkey, anchored in national industrial participation. This represents a generational leap in pilot training capability, aligning with NATO standards and ensuring Spanish pilots transition to a platform closer in performance and systems to the aircraft they will fly operationally.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
