IRIA News

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Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus and a coalition of 15 Spanish defense and aerospace companies, collectively known as “Team Spain”, to explore cooperation on Spain’s future jet trainer program.

The agreement, unveiled at the Feindef 2025 defense exhibition in Madrid on May 15, 2025, signals a collaborative effort to develop a next-generation Integrated Training System (ITS-C) for the Spanish Air Force.

This new partnership marks a major milestone in Spain’s ambition to modernize its pilot training infrastructure. The ITS-C initiative is expected to replace the Spanish Air Force’s aging fleet of 19 F-5M aircraft, which have been in service for over half a century.

Designed to train future fighter pilots, the program aims to equip the Spanish Air Force with a comprehensive and advanced system for preparing personnel for the challenges of modern aerial combat.

At the heart of this collaboration is TAI’s Hürjet, a cutting-edge, twin-seat supersonic jet trainer capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 1.4. The Hürjet is currently in development and features sophisticated onboard avionics and ground-based training systems. It is scheduled to enter active service with the Turkish Air Force by 2026. As part of the MoU, the Hürjet will be evaluated as a central component of the ITS-C project.

The memorandum builds on an earlier agreement between TAI and Airbus but now expands to include key Spanish industrial stakeholders, reflecting a shared vision for multinational defense cooperation in Europe. The initiative is not only technological in scope but also strategic, fostering deeper ties between Turkiye and Spain, two NATO allies with increasingly aligned defense priorities.

Lt. Gen. Miguel Ivorra Ruiz, who is responsible for defense-industry planning at Spain’s Ministry of Defense, emphasized the broader implications of the agreement. He stated, “a step towards a solid, strategic and innovative industrial cooperation,” further noting that the project would “position Spanish companies at the center of an internationally scoped initiative.” His comments underscore the potential of the ITS-C initiative to serve not only Spain’s domestic needs but also to contribute to global defense training markets.

Turkish-Spanish defense cooperation

The MoU stands as a clear testament to the deepening collaboration between Turkiye’s rapidly growing defense sector and European industrial giants. TAI, already an established player in the international aerospace market, has been aggressively expanding its footprint in Europe.

The company’s focus on jet trainers, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and next-generation fighter jets has placed it in an ideal position to contribute meaningfully to multinational projects such as ITS-C.

For Airbus, the partnership represents a continuation of its effort to integrate diverse technological capabilities from its European partners. Airbus’s extensive experience in aircraft design, manufacturing, and training system integration will serve as a vital component of the ITS-C development process. The inclusion of “Team Spain” ensures that the project will have deep domestic roots, fostering local employment and industrial growth.

While the technical and operational aspects of the partnership are still being mapped out, industry observers note that the collaboration could open the door to long-term co-production and shared intellectual property. If successful, ITS-C may be marketed beyond Spain, with potential interest from allied countries seeking modern pilot training solutions.

TAI Hürjet

TAI’s Hürjet is poised to become one of the most advanced jet trainers in the global defense market. Designed to bridge the gap between basic flight training and operational conversion to frontline fighter aircraft, the Hürjet boasts advanced features typically found only in combat aircraft. These include fly-by-wire controls, integrated avionics, and state-of-the-art training modules capable of simulating combat missions.

The aircraft’s ability to reach speeds up to Mach 1.4 and perform high-G maneuvers makes it suitable not just for training purposes but also for light combat roles, a flexibility that could prove valuable for air forces operating on tighter budgets or in need of versatile platforms.

The ITS-C program could serve as a proving ground for the Hürjet’s capabilities in a multinational training ecosystem. If integrated successfully into the Spanish Air Force’s training regimen, the Hürjet could gain a substantial boost in credibility, increasing its chances in future export competitions across Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Strategic implications

This agreement comes at a time of rapidly evolving defense needs across Europe. As NATO countries recalibrate their military readiness in the wake of growing geopolitical tensions, the modernization of training capabilities is increasingly seen as a top priority.

The F-5M fleet’s long service has made its replacement an urgent matter, and the ITS-C program is expected to fill that capability gap while positioning Spain as a leader in next-generation training solutions.

Moreover, the deal could serve as a diplomatic bridge between Turkiye and the European Union. While political relations have seen fluctuations in recent years, defense cooperation has remained a relatively stable and productive area of engagement. The inclusion of Turkish technology in a major European defense project sends a message about the potential of pragmatic, mutually beneficial partnerships.

For Turkiye and its indigenous projects such as the Hürjet, the Anka drone series, and the fifth-generation TF-X fighter, TAI is aiming to join the ranks of top-tier global defense manufacturers. Collaborating with Airbus and Team Spain adds considerable weight to those ambitions.