An Airbus-led consortium of Spanish companies has presented the industrial programme for the Spanish Air and Space Force’s Integrated Combat Training System (ITS-C), following a contract awarded in December 2025.
The programme, featuring 60% participation from national industry, will replace the ageing F-5 fleet with 30 customized HÜRJET training aircraft from Turkish Aerospace, designated SAETA II in Spanish service. Airbus serves as prime contractor in a co-development agreement with Turkish Aerospace, handling customization to Spanish specifications, integration of new equipment, and provision of operation and maintenance services.
Airbus will also redesign the Fighter and Strike School Training Centre at Talavera la Real Air Base in Extremadura, incorporating state-of-the-art simulators developed with Indra to support aircraft operations, maintenance, and synthetic training.
The initial phase starts in 2028 with delivery of 21 aircraft, one serving as a prototype for next-generation avionics and mission systems. A ground-based training system will enter operation in the 2029-2030 academic year. The second phase covers conversion of all 30 aircraft and simulator updates, with full deliveries of the SAETA II fleet and training systems scheduled between 2031 and 2035.
Spanish firms will manage ongoing maintenance and upgrades, integrating key technologies including GMV for inertial/GPS and mission computers, Sener for DataLink, Aertec for remote interface units, Grupo Oesía for audio management, Orbital for VMDR mission recorders, and Indra for Identification Friend or Foe systems.