ANKARA 

Spain's acquisition of 30 units of Türkiye's first national jet trainer aircraft, HURJET, worth €2.6 billion (approximately $3.05 billion), opened up new opportunities for Ankara's exports to the country, the Turkish defense industries secretary said on Tuesday.

Haluk Gorgun, speaking at a press conference at the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facilities in Ankara, stated that this export is an important indicator of Türkiye's progress in the defense and high technology sectors over the last two decades.

He emphasized that during this period, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership, Türkiye has become a country that produces high technology, meets its own defense industry needs, shares the technologies it develops with friendly and allied nations, strengthens its position in the global market every day, and, in the process, has become a trustworthy and preferred country.

Gorgun, noting that the domestic production rate in the Turkish defense industry has reached 82%-83%, said, "This export came with a product that we produced and developed with our own original design. Along with TAI, approximately 200 companies have contributed to the creation of this successful product.

"Each of them took on significant responsibilities and fulfilled them to the best of their ability, developing a combat training aircraft that is needed worldwide."

He explained that TAI had previously received orders for HURJET aircraft for Türkiye's needs and that their production was ongoing. He added that they had received similar requests from Spain, a friendly and allied country that is a member of the EU and NATO.

He said the agreement, signed on Monday, reached a successful conclusion after technical evaluations, discussions with the Spanish and Turkish Air Forces, factory visits, and assessments of potential cooperation opportunities.

"We are happy and pleased to be exporting such a high-tech product to our ally Spain, a member of the EU and NATO. This agreement is not just a training aircraft agreement. It's a comprehensive contract encompassing many innovations, including ground systems, simulation systems, maintenance systems, and a cooperation model," he said.

He also noted that such projects open doors for subcontractors supporting the platforms, highlighting the development of a sector that produces approximately 230 different products for around 185 countries.

Opportunities for exports to 3rd countries

Gorgun emphasized that this agreement package includes opportunities for mutual gains, technological collaborations, integration of different payloads or subsystems, leveraging the advanced aviation sector in Spain, and the possibility of jointly developing and exporting subsequent models to third countries.

He stated that a significant portion of last year's defense industry exports were to EU and NATO members, noting that an agreement was reached for 30 aircraft with a budget of approximately €2.6 billion.

"A Spanish-style version, updated according to Spain's own needs, will also be included in this package. When discussing defense industry exports with friendly and allied countries and those with whom we cooperate, we prioritize the creation of a win-win model. We consider both technological and economic gains mutually. This instills confidence in our counterparts," Gorgun added.

On Monday, Spain inked an agreement with TAI, the manufacturer of HURJET, to purchase 30 units of the jet trainer for €2.6 billion.

The deal was announced in May, when Spain signed a pact with Türkiye to import HURJET, and it was authorized in October for the procurement of a new system for modern fighter pilot training featuring a customized version of the supersonic aircraft.

Türkiye's HURJET project began in August 2017, and the aircraft made its maiden flight in April 2023. Before that, the first completed component entered the final assembly line in June 2022, followed by ground tests that included landing-gear trials, wiring checks, canopy mechanisms, and full avionics, electrical, and fuel-system tests.