Airtificial, a critical technology provider in the SAETA II programme
- Airbus has today brought together the Spanish companies responsible for developing the new Integrated Combat Training System (ITS-C), awarded in December 2025.
- Saeta II is the name given to the future Spanish version of the Turkish military training aircraft Hürjet. The new fleet will consist of 30 aircraft replacing the current F-5 fleet and features 60% Spanish industrial participation.
- The ITS-C programme, led by Airbus together with Turkish Aerospace, will cover the entire advanced combat pilot training process.
- Airtificial contributes differentiated capabilities in the design, industrial development, and manufacturing of flight control systems, including fly-by-wire control sticks for next-generation platforms.
Madrid, April 28, 2026 – Airtificial participated today in the Spanish Industry Forum held at Airbus’ Getafe facilities on the occasion of the signing of the contract between Airbus and Turkish Aerospace (TAI) for the new Integrated Combat Training System (ITS-C) for the Spanish Air and Space Force. Airbus brought together the Spanish companies responsible for developing the ITS-C. The programme, awarded in December 2025, will replace the current F-5 fleet and includes 60% national industrial participation.
The event gathered representatives from the Spanish Secretary of State for Defence (SEDEF), Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), Turkish Aerospace (TA), and the main companies involved in the programme. Two roundtables were held during the session. In the first, titled Strategic Autonomy, Agustín Méndez, Business Development Director of Aerospace & Defense at Airtificial, highlighted the value of industrial cooperation in the programme’s development:
“We would like to thank Turkish Aerospace and Airbus for once again placing their trust in Airtificial Aerospace & Defense’s technology, commitment, and execution capabilities. This programme clearly demonstrates the value of industrial collaboration among strategic partners, where each company contributes critical capabilities to the overall success. The consortium built around this project reflects how international cooperation is essential to advancing a country’s strategic autonomy and developing key defence technologies.”
Within this industrial ecosystem, Airtificial plays a critical role as a supplier of advanced flight control systems, contributing differentiated capabilities in the design, industrial development, and manufacturing of fly-by-wire technology for next-generation training platforms.
In 2025, Airtificial manufactured more than 60,000 components, including flight control sticks for international aeronautical programmes, consolidating its position as the only Spanish company and one of the few global suppliers with end-to-end capabilities in this type of system.
Guillermo Fernández de Peñaranda, CEO of Airtificial, stated:
“Participating in the ITS-C programme means being at the technological core of one of the most relevant initiatives in European military aviation. Airtificial provides critical flight control systems that are key to the performance, safety, and evolution of these platforms. Our collaboration with Airbus and Turkish Aerospace reinforces our positioning as a technology partner in next-generation programmes.”
The ITS-C programme, based on a co-development agreement between Airbus, as prime contractor, and Turkish Aerospace (TA), as manufacturer of the HÜRJET training aircraft, will cover the entire advanced training process for Spanish combat pilots. This includes the adaptation of the fleet of 30 aircraft—designated nationally as SAETA II—as well as the provision of an integrated set of operation and maintenance services.
Two phases: upgrading the aircraft “brain” and system Spanish adaptation
The initial phase, starting in 2028, will focus on the delivery of an initial batch of 21 aircraft. One of these aircraft will be used by Airbus as a prototype for integrating next-generation avionics and mission systems. In parallel, a ground-based training system will be developed and manufactured, expected to enter service during the 2029–2030 academic year.
In a second phase, these 21 aircraft, along with the remaining nine, will be converted to the Spanish-adapted version, and simulators will be upgraded accordingly. Deliveries of the national SAETA II version and the ground training system will take place between 2031 and 2035.
Technological sovereignty and national integration
The national industry, led by Airbus, will assume full control to maintain, upgrade, and evolve this fleet independently.
Beyond the manufacturing of primary structures, electrical wiring, and the design and construction of the conversion centre, the Spanish industry will be responsible for integrating key technologies for avionics and mission systems: CT (high-value engineering solutions), GMV (inertial/GPS and mission computer), Sener (DataLink), Aertec (remote interface unit), Grupo Oesía (audio management), Orbital (VMDR mission recorder), Indra (friend-or-foe identification system), and ITP (propulsion system).
For more information on the new combat training system of the Spanish Air and Space Force, click here.
About Airtificial
Airtificial provides global and innovative design and manufacturing solutions for the automotive, civil aerospace and defence industries, infrastructure, and other industrial sectors, integrating advanced technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence which, together with human interaction, contribute to more sustainable development. Listed on the Spanish Continuous Market, the company operates in 18 countries across key markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, contributing to the digital transformation, automation, and optimisation of its clients’ industrial processes through sustainable and competitive growth.
Press contact:
| +34 91 576 52 50
Guiomar Pérez: +34 654 131 327
Lucía Pérez: +34 633 71 97 26
