Airframer news
06/05/2026
Spain’s replacement for the ageing F-5 fleet includes 30 Hürjet-based aircraft, national avionics integration and a redesigned training centre in Extremadura.
An Airbus-led consortium of Spanish companies has presented the industrial programme for the Spanish Air and Space Force’s future Integrated Combat Training System (ITS-C), which will replace the current fleet of F-5 aircraft.
The programme follows a contract awarded in December 2025 and is based on a co-development agreement between Airbus and Turkish Aerospace, manufacturer of the Hürjet training aircraft. The new fleet will include 30 aircraft known in Spain as SAETA II.
The programme covers the advanced training process for Spanish fighter pilots, including aircraft customisation, operation and maintenance services and the development of training systems.
Airbus will also lead the redesign of the Fighter and Strike school Training Centre at Talavera la Real Air Base in Extremadura. The centre will include simulators developed with Indra and support operations and maintenance for both the aircraft and synthetic training systems.
Marta Nogueira, Head of Business Spain at Airbus Defence and Space, says: “As a result of this national programme, Spain achieves three strategic milestones: we ensure technology transfer in key areas, we obtain a deep-reaching industrial return, and, above all, we provide the programme with the strategic sovereignty and independence necessary to manage the sustainment and any future evolution of the system.”
The first phase of the programme is scheduled to begin in 2028 with delivery of 21 aircraft. One aircraft will be used as a prototype for the integration of next-generation avionics and mission equipment.
A second phase will convert all 30 aircraft to Spanish SAETA II standards between 2031 and 2035, alongside updates to the simulator systems.
Spanish companies including GMV, Sener, Aertec, Grupo Oesía, Orbital and Indra will provide avionics and mission technologies for the programme.