Spain and Turkey may soon announce an agreement that will benefit the air forces of both countries with training and transport aircraft.
According to Turkish media reports, the Spanish Air Force is about to order 24 Hürjet trainer jets, manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
The aircraft will replace the aging F-5Ms used for advanced training and which are at the end of their service life.
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It would be the first export of the Hürjet, a single-engine supersonic aircraft that made its maiden flight in April 2023 and will be adopted by the Turkish Air Force, which intends to acquire 100 jets.
A prototype of the jet that was at the Farnborough Airshow has landed at Torrejón Air Base in Madrid for evaluation by the air force, according to reports.
More A400Ms
The potential deal between Turkey and Spain, however, is broader. Payment for the 24 Hürjets could be made in part with six Airbus A400M turboprop transports.
The Spanish Air Force has ordered 27 A400Ms, but the government recently said it would keep only 17 aircraft, leaving 10 that could be renegotiated.
Turkey has 10 A400Ms and is looking to expand its tactical transport fleet.
The country’s military recently acknowledged that it was evaluating aircraft such as the Boeing T-7A, KAI T-50 and Leonardo M-346 in addition to the Hürjet.
Airbus, in turn, is trying to develop an advanced training aircraft using its facilities in Spain, the Airbus Future Jet Trainer (AFJT) program, but so far it has not been possible to secure resources for the project.
