Spain has been seeking a new generation jet trainer, of the same category of the Hurjet, to replace the 19 Northrop SF-5M aircraft, with plans to induct the new jets by 2028.
The prototype of the TAI Hurjet advanced jet trainer has arrived in Spain at Torrejon air base, near Madrid, after reports from Turkey mentioned that the domestically developed aircraft was set to head to Spain to be evaluated as a possible replacement for the SASF (Spanish Air and Space Force) aging SF-5M Freedom Fighter training aircraft.
Turkiye Today added that Madrid has offered to pay for 24 of the Hurjets through a barter deal, transferring to Turkey six A400M aircraft which are not needed by the SASF. Ankara had been seeking to expand its A400 fleet, which currently counts ten aircraft, amid budget constraints.
Quoting Defence Turkey Magazine, the reports said that “originally, a delegation from SASF, including pilots, was expected to visit TAI facilities in Ankara later in July or August to inspect Hurjet.” The report later added that the decision to send Hurjet directly to Spain “came as a surprise,” with the jet flying accompanied by an A400M and fuel stops in Belgrade(Serbia), Brescia (Italy) and Mont de Marsan (France).
The Hurjet is a twin-seat, single-engine supersonic “new-generation” jet trainer, which can also be employed as a light attack aircraft, and first flew on Apr. 25, 2023. TAI (also known as TUSAS) announced on Jul. 11 that the Hurjet successfully completed its 79th sortie, clocking a speed of Mach 0.9 at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The aircraft is still in its developmental phase and has not yet entered serial production.
#HÜRJET son sürat ilerliyor !
79’uncu sortisini başarıyla gerçekleştirerek 30.000 feet irtifada 0.9 mach hıza ulaştı.
Havacılığımıza güç katmaya devam edeceğiz. pic.twitter.com/PWUdlbJKAM
— Dr. Mehmet Demiroğlu (@dr_mdemiroglu) July 11, 2024
The initial studies for the “Jet Trainer Aircraft & Light Attack Aircraft Project” commenced in July 2017, with the project officially starting in August of that year. The Hurjet was developed as a supersonic domestic jet trainer to replace the T-38M and NF-5A/B 2000 aircraft in the Turkish Air Force fleet by the 2030s.
Day 5 of the show and up close with the TAI Hurjet. #FIA2024 #avgeek pic.twitter.com/PhHMg6P37m
— Tim Robinson (@RAeSTimR) July 26, 2024
Spain’s SF-5M replacement effort
Since 2023, SASF has been seeking a new generation jet trainer to replace its19 Northrop SF-5M Freedom Fighter jet trainers (designated by the Spanish MoD as AE.9), with plans to induct the new jets in service by 2028. Hurjet is among four contenders to replace the SF-5M, including the Boeing T-7 Red Hawk, KAI T-50/FA-50 Golden Eagle, and Leonardo M-346.
Should Hurjet be selected, it will serve in the Ala 23 at Talavera La Real Air Base, which currently operates the SF-5M. The aircraft would take over the advanced flight training phase which prepares pilots for the EF-18M Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
The Freedom Fighters arrived in Spain in the 1970s, replacing the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star. They have already undergone two modernization processes, one in 1990 and the other in 2008, with a third currently underway as the Israeli company IAI was contracted to extend the SF-5M’s operational life until 2030. In Mar. 2023, the Spanish defense ministry said it will choose a new aircraft by 2023 and acquire it by 2028 for training its fighter and attack pilots.
AvionRevue reported that Airtificial, a Spanish aerospace company based in Cardiz, is also involved in the Hurjet project, manufacturing active and passive flight control arms. The company announced on Apr. 3, 2024, that it signed a two-phase contract worth $2.8 million to manufacture these components for the Hurjet.
Turkey’s A400Ms
Turkey operates a total of ten Airbus A400M aircraft and, according to Times Aerospace, received the final unit in Sep. 2022, assigned to the 12th Main Air Transport Main Base Command at Kayseri, in the country’s Central Anatolia region. The first THK A400M was delivered to Turkey on April 4, 2014, and deliveries were originally scheduled for completion in 2018.
TAI is also a leading partner in the industrial consortium of the A400M project, together with Airbus Defence and Space, BAE Systems and others. TAI/TUSAS manufactures the front-mid fuselage, tail cone, rear fuselage upper panel, fins/speed breaks, paratroop and emergency exit doors as well as wiring, lighting and water/waste systems.
In 2018 it was reported that Turkey had intentions to increase its fleet by acquiring at least five more A400Ms, however an order has never been finalized. Meanwhile, Turkish A400Ms are currently being retrofitted at the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate/KAYSERİ.
Turkish Army receives 7th Airbus A400M transport aircraft. Turkish Aerospace and Tusaş Engine Industries are project partners with industrial participation from Turkey. pic.twitter.com/yK7T6s2U65
— Cemal (@Acemal71) October 18, 2018
First international bid?
Spain had been named as a potential Hurjet customer, beside Azerbaijan and Canada. Negotiations between TAI and these countries had been ongoing, with TAI aiming to sell 100 Hurjets to the Turkish Air Force and 300 to international customers by the mid-2030s.
At the Paris air show in 2023, TAI’s CEO Kotil said there is a total market for 400 Hurjets in the next two decades, with 100 going to the Turkish air force and 300 for export customers by the 2030s. The Hurjet, however, has yet to secure its first international order, while Turkey so far ordered only four aircraft in the Block 0 configuration and 12 in the Block 1 configuration.
In 2023 Hurjet lost out to KAI’s FA-50 in a Malaysian requirement for 18 aircraft. The new trainer, along with the Gokbey helicopter, also made its international debut at the Farnborough Air Show this year. However, the Hurjet’s flying demonstration was canceled for unknown reasons.
Parth Satam’s career spans a decade and a half between two dailies and two defense publications. He believes war, as a human activity, has causes and results that go far beyond which missile and jet flies the fastest. He therefore loves analyzing military affairs at their intersection with foreign policy, economics, technology, society and history. The body of his work spans the entire breadth from defense aerospace, tactics, military doctrine and theory, personnel issues, West Asian, Eurasian affairs, the energy sector and Space.
