Türkiye to export Hurjet aircraft to Spain in landmark defense deal

Türkiye's defense industry has reached a new milestone with the export of Hurjet, a jet trainer developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), to Spain.

Mass production of the Hurjet is currently underway for the Turkish Air Force, while preparations continue to meet the requirements of the export contract with Spain.

The aircraft is scheduled to enter service in Türkiye in 2027 and in Spain in 2028.

Turkish defense firm Havelsan will supply the full mission and flight training simulator to accompany the Hurjet as part of the deal.

The simulator is expected to be delivered to the Turkish Air Force in the fourth quarter of 2026, ahead of the aircraft's export to Spain.

Mehmet Akif Nacar, Havelsan's general manager, told Anadolu that the agreement represents a major turning point for Türkiye's defense sector.

Nacar said the deal reverses a long-standing trend in which Türkiye imported such simulators, noting that Havelsan has now developed the capacity to design and export comprehensive simulator software.

He said the company plans to apply the same export model with other countries purchasing the Hurjet, providing advanced training simulators alongside the aircraft.

Havelsan engineers began work on the Hurjet simulator three years ago, contributing to the aircraft's engineering tests, cockpit scenarios and validation processes.

The company is using the same engineering approach for KAAN, Türkiye's homegrown combat aircraft.

The Hurjet's next-generation embedded simulator allows pilots to train in virtual scenarios during actual flights, without relying on ground-based visual systems, extending operational training time.

Havelsan is also constructing a new complex in Ankara to meet growing domestic and international demand. Once completed, the facility is expected to be the largest simulator production and integration center in Europe.

Nacar said Havelsan's global market share and export revenues are expected to grow as TAI expands international sales of domestically developed platforms, including the Hurkus and Atak aircraft.