Saeta II aircraft combines Turkish technology, Spanish development, Turkish Aerospace says

Madrid, Apr 29 (EFE).- Turkish Aerospace President and CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu said that although the Saeta II trainer aircraft is based on Turkish technology, its evolution and development will be Spanish, through maintenance coordinated by Airbus and the ability to introduce modifications according to the needs of Spain’s Armed Forces.

Turkish Aerospace signed a contract on Tuesdat with the Spanish government for the acquisition of 30 Hürjet training aircraft, which in Spain will be renamed Saeta II, in tribute to the first Spanish jet aircraft, the Hispano Aviación HA-200 Saeta.

Speaking during the EFE Dialogues Defense event “From Ankara to Talavera la Real: The Hürjet and the New Era of Spanish Defense,” Demiroğlu stressed that “you cannot look only at the aircraft’s sheet metal, but at the entire life cycle of the project.”

The agreement is valued at €2.6 billion. The first delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2028, with completion targeted for 2031.

“We are going to provide the platform. Airbus—the company chosen to coordinate the project in Spain—will provide the training equipment and systems. And there will be a number of [Spanish] companies, 14 in total, contributing certain subcomponents,” he said.

Cost-effectiveness in defense

During the interview conducted by EFE’s head of Institutional Relations, José Manuel Sanz, the Turkish executive also referred to the current geopolitical context, which has forced the defense sector to move very quickly.

Based on his experience from recent conflicts, cost-effectiveness is now key for countries seeking products that can be manufactured quickly and efficiently, such as drones.

Demiroğlu explained that when the war between Ukraine and Russia began in February 2022, many thought it would be a conventional conflict involving tanks and armored vehicles. However, its evolution—and that of other conflicts such as between Pakistan and India, or the United States and Israel against Iran—has shown a high rate of use of missiles, air defense systems, and other lightweight equipment.

“Very expensive platforms, very advanced technology platforms used to be required or wanted. Now, nobody wants that. They want something that works. And it has to be cost-effective. It has to be manufactured or supplied as fast as possible,” he said, adding that the company adapted its portfolio to offer solutions based on nations’ needs.

Turkish Aerospace’s vision of the future

Looking ahead, Demiroğlu referred to the KAAN, Turkey’s fifth-generation fighter jet, which he described as the company’s number one program “not only for Turkish Aerospace, but also for Turkish defense, because we are not building a platform, we are building also an ecosystem.”

The current plan is for the first two real test prototypes to fly this year, with a third next year. By 2027 or 2028, the first serial production prototype is to take to the air, followed shortly thereafter by delivery of the KAAN Block 10 to the Turkish Air Force.

“Within NATO, there are countries that develop technologies much earlier than others. It’s not to compete with them, but to strengthen NATO, because if each country is stronger than in the past, then the alliance will be stronger,” he said.

Turkish Aerospace is a 53-year-old aviation company that began by manufacturing F-16 aircraft but, starting in 2005, expanded its portfolio with proprietary platforms that it not only designs but also manufactures, maintains, and upgrades for its helicopter, UAV, fixed-wing, space, and aerostructures divisions.

“If something is needed for Turkish aviation or the aerospace sector, we have a solution. We are a compact company. We are a very agile company. We can respond to requirements as quickly as possible,” Demiroğlu concluded. EFE

SOUND BITES OF TURKISH AEROSPACE PRESIDENT AND CEO MEHMET DEMIROĞLU. FOOTAGE FROM THE EFE DIALOGUES DEFENSE EVENT “FROM ANKARA TO TALAVERA LA REAL: HÜRJET AND THE NEW ERA OF SPANISH DEFENSE,” AS WELL AS IMAGES OF THE HÜRJET AIRCRAFT ACQUIRED BY THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT FROM TURKISH AEROSPACE.