FEINDEF 2025: Turkish Aerospace’s MoU with Spanish industry puts Hürjet closer to first export order

Turkish Aerospace and Spanish aerospace companies led by Airbus have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under Spain’s Advanced Jet Trainer Aircraft, Integrated Training System – Combat (ITS-C) programme.

The MoU, which was signed on the last day of the FEINDEF 2025 defence exhibition, held in Madrid from 12 to 14 May, is focused on providing Turkish Aerospace’s Hürjet advanced jet trainer (AJT) as a replacement for the Spanish Air and Space Force’s current fleet of 19 Northrop F-5BMs.

The agreement follows an MoU on co-operation regarding the Hürjet signed by Spanish and Turkish officials on 20 December 2024 after a Hürjet was evaluated by the Spanish Air and Space Force in mid-2024, when an example of the type flew into Torrejón Air Base in central Spain on 28 July.

The Turkish AJT thus seems close to securing its first export order.

Turkish Aerospace stated of the 14 May 2025 MoU, “The agreement aims to include the Hürjet jet trainer, developed indigenously by Turkish Aerospace, in Spain’s integrated training system while also strengthening the Spanish defence industry. The signed MoU also seeks to bolster defence ties between Türkiye and Spain and to meet the growing operational needs of the Spanish Air Force for modern training aircraft.”

The Hürjet, a supersonic AJT, made its maiden flight on 25 April 2023. Powered by a General Electric F404 turbofan, the aircraft is designed to have a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, a service ceiling of 13,716 m (45,000 ft), a climb rate of 39,000 ft/minute, a range of 2,222 km and a payload capacity of 2,721 kg that allows it to also be used as a light attack aircraft.

Turkish Aerospace has already secured orders from the Turkish government for four Hürjet Block 0 prototypes and 12 initial Block 1 AJT-configured aircraft as replacements for the Turkish Air Force’s T-38 Talon AJTs.