The details of the project regarding the Spanish side of HÜRJET and the name of the aircraft in the Spanish inventory have been clarified for the first time. Speaking to Spain's well-established aviation magazine Avion Revue, Dr Mehmet Demiroğlu, General Manager of TAI, announced that deliveries will begin at the end of 2028. The most striking detail is that the Spanish Air Force named the HÜRJET “Saeta II” as a continuation of the legendary “Saeta” of their aviation history.
HÜRJET, the pride of the Turkish aviation industry, is consolidating its place in the skies of Europe. The most comprehensive information on the process by which the Spanish Air Force (EdA) chose the HÜRJET to replace its F-5M aircraft was provided by Dr Mehmet Demiroğlu, General Manager of TAI. Avion Revue magazine with a special interview he gave to the magazine. HÜRJET, which was on the cover of the February 2026 issue of the magazine, became localised with the new name given to it by the Spaniards.
The Spaniards named the Turkish aircraft after their own legends: “Saeta II”
The magazine's file article reveals that the Spanish Air Force has positioned the HÜRJET not only as an imported product, but also as a continuation of their own aviation heritage. It was announced that the HÜRJET was named ’Saeta II“ (or AE.09 in official coding), in reference to the HA-200 Saeta, the first jet training and attack aircraft produced by Spain in the 1950s.
The fact that a NATO country gives the name of its own national legend (Saeta, meaning Arrow / Lightning) to an aircraft procured from Turkey is interpreted as the highest level indicator of the trust and technical acceptance of HÜRJET.
Demiroğlu gave a date: First Delivery 2028 Last quarter
Clarifying the schedule of the project in the interview, Dr. Mehmet Demiroğlu announced that the delivery of HÜRJETs (Saeta II) will begin in the last quarter of 2028.
According to the information in Avion Revue, the cooperation model will work as follows:
- Production: The aircraft will be manufactured at TAI facilities.
- The Spanish Touch After the aircraft arrive in Spain, upgrades and modifications to meet the specific requirements of the Spanish Air Force will be carried out at local facilities.
- Base Transformation: TAI will not only provide aircraft. It will also manage the process of adapting the training centre at Talavera la Real Air Base in Spain to the HÜRJET infrastructure and establishing a conversion centre.
Designed with 53 Years of Experience
In an interview with the Spanish press, Prof. Dr. Demiroğlu revealed the difference of HÜRJET from its competitors with the following words:
“HÜRJET is designed to train pilots of 5th and 6th generation fighter aircraft (KAAN, F-35, FCAS), not with old generation design philosophies. Sensor fusion, network-centric warfare capabilities and high situational awareness make it not just a training aircraft, but a concept of the future.”
360 Sorties and 280 Hours of Flight
The magazine also drew attention to the maturity level of the HÜRJET programme. It was stated that in the 33 months since its first flight, the prototypes have completed more than 360 sorties and over 280 hours of flight time. These data were highlighted to show the Spanish public that the aircraft is a tried and tested platform.
