Airbus Defence Rolls Out First Eurofighter HALCON I Fighter Jet for Spain to Replace Aging F/A-18 Fighters.

Airbus Defence has rolled out Spain’s first Eurofighter HALCON I combat aircraft at its Getafe facility near Madrid, a milestone that moves the program toward flight testing and strengthens Spain’s future air defense posture. The aircraft’s transition to engine run and maiden flight, announced as part of the HALCON I program, marks a direct step toward replacing aging F/A-18 Hornet fighters and reinforcing NATO airpower on Europe’s southern flank.

The HALCON I aircraft will bring Spain a more capable Eurofighter configuration for air policing, interception, and high-readiness combat missions. Its arrival supports a wider European trend toward modernized fighter fleets built for deterrence, survivability, and rapid response in contested airspace.

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The first Eurofighter HALCON I combat aircraft for the Spanish Air and Space Force rolls out at Airbus Defence and Space’s Getafe facility near Madrid, ahead of its first engine run and maiden flight. The aircraft is part of Spain’s 20-unit HALCON I program, which will introduce E-Scan radar and enhanced combat capabilities to replace aging F/A-18 Hornets. (Picture source: Airbus Defence)

According to Airbus Defence’s announcement on X on June 1, 2026, the first aircraft belongs to a 20-unit HALCON I batch equipped with E-Scan radar, with deliveries expected to start this year. The milestone matters because these Eurofighters will reinforce Spain’s combat aviation posture at a time when European air forces are accelerating modernization against long-range missile, drone, and electronic warfare threats.

The HALCON I contract was formally signed on June 23, 2022, during the ILA Berlin Air Show, when the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, known as NETMA, contracted 20 latest-generation Eurofighter combat aircraft for Spain. Eurofighter GmbH, NETMA, and Eurojet Turbo GmbH signed the HALCON agreement, covering the aircraft, associated engines, and modernization package required to replace the F/A-18 fleet operated from the Canary Islands.

The contract was valued at about €2.043 billion, or roughly $2.1 billion at the time of signature, and included 16 single-seat and four twin-seat Eurofighters. The agreement gave Spain a defined replacement path for its oldest Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornets and confirmed the Eurofighter as the preferred European solution for the first phase of the Canary Islands fighter renewal.

The HALCON I program covers 20 Eurofighter combat aircraft, including 16 single-seat and four twin-seat versions, intended to replace Spanish F/A-18 aircraft operated from the Canary Islands. This is not only a fleet renewal measure but a capability shift, because the new aircraft brings active electronically scanned radar, updated avionics, improved connectivity, and compatibility with more advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.

For Spain, the Getafe rollout is strategically important because it confirms that the national final assembly line remains active and tied directly to frontline airpower. Eurofighters for Spain are assembled, tested, and delivered from Getafe, linking operational modernization with Spanish industrial workload, engineering skills, and long-term maintenance capacity.

The aircraft selection also reflected Spain’s industrial and strategic priorities. While the Lockheed Martin F-35A, Dassault Rafale, Saab Gripen E, and potentially additional Boeing F/A-18-related options were all relevant reference points in Europe’s fighter market, HALCON I was not a conventional open competition between equal bidders; Spain chose an additional Eurofighter order through the existing NETMA framework because it reduced transition risk, preserved Spanish industrial participation, and maintained continuity with an aircraft already operated by the Spanish Air and Space Force.

The F-35A offered stealth and advanced sensor fusion, but it would have introduced a new U.S.-controlled sustainment chain, new infrastructure requirements, and a different operational model. Rafale and Gripen E represented European alternatives, but neither matched the combination of Spain’s existing Eurofighter training base, national assembly work at Getafe, Indra’s radar role, and the political value of reinforcing European defense industrial autonomy.

This selection logic became even clearer after Spain later moved away from the U.S. F-35 option for future fighter requirements and signaled preference for European combat aviation solutions. Spanish reporting in 2025 stated that Madrid had suspended plans to buy F-35 aircraft and was examining European alternatives, including Eurofighter, Rafale, and the future FCAS combat air system, although that later debate concerns broader F/A-18 and Harrier replacement decisions beyond HALCON I.

The most decisive upgrade in HALCON I is the E-Scan radar, a sensor generation that gives the Eurofighter faster target detection, improved tracking, better resistance to jamming, and more flexible air-to-air and air-to-surface modes than older mechanically scanned radars. For pilots, that means earlier detection, more simultaneous tracking options, and greater freedom to manage beyond-visual-range engagements while reducing exposure to enemy sensors.

Spain and Germany are linked to the ECRS Mk1 radar path for Eurofighter, developed with Hensoldt and Indra participation. The ECRS Mk1 is a next-generation Eurofighter radar based on multi-channel AESA technology and a high-end processor, designed to improve the combat aircraft’s sensor performance for both air forces.

Operationally, this changes the role of the Spanish Eurofighter from a high-performance interceptor to a more networked combat aircraft capable of contributing to air policing, quick reaction alert, maritime approaches, strike escort, and NATO integrated air and missile defense. In the Canary Islands context, replacing older F/A-18s with Eurofighter HALCON I aircraft strengthens Spain’s ability to monitor the Atlantic approaches, respond faster to unknown aircraft, and support allied air operations from a geographically important southern flank.

The Eurofighter’s baseline performance remains central to this upgrade. The combat aircraft is powered by two Eurojet EJ200 engines, providing high thrust-to-weight performance, rapid climb, supersonic flight capability, and the agility required for close air combat and high-energy missile employment.

The HALCON I aircraft will also benefit from the broader Eurofighter weapons roadmap. Spain’s HALCON aircraft are associated with advanced avionics, E-Scan radar, enhanced weapon systems capable of operating Brimstone III and full Meteor capability, new sensors, and improved connectivity.

Meteor integration is especially relevant because it extends the Eurofighter’s reach beyond visual range combat, allowing Spanish pilots to hold hostile aircraft at risk at greater distances and with stronger endgame energy. Brimstone III, if fully integrated into the Spanish configuration, would add a precision strike option against armored vehicles, mobile targets, and time-sensitive battlefield threats, increasing the aircraft’s usefulness beyond classic air defense missions.

The rollout also confirms the continuity between HALCON I and HALCON II. Spain ordered 25 additional Eurofighters under HALCON II in December 2024, bringing the combined HALCON procurement to 45 aircraft, with Airbus describing the wider program as a major upgrade of Spain’s airpower and a replacement path for the F/A-18 fleet.

HALCON II includes 21 single-seat and four twin-seat Eurofighters, with first deliveries planned from 2030. Together with HALCON I, the order will allow Spain to expand and modernize its Eurofighter force while reducing dependence on aging legacy fighters that face increasing maintenance pressure and sensor limitations in contested airspace.

The industrial dimension is also significant for Europe’s combat aviation sector. Airbus has said the HALCON program supports more than 16,000 direct and indirect jobs in Spain, while reinforcing a European defense supply chain that includes Airbus, Eurofighter consortium partners, engine suppliers, radar developers, avionics companies, and national maintenance organizations.

For Spanish defense planners, the first HALCON I rollout reduces risk in a modernization schedule that must balance current operational demand with future combat air development. Spain is involved in the Future Combat Air System effort, but Eurofighter HALCON I provides a near-term and mid-term combat aircraft bridge with credible sensors, weapons, and NATO interoperability before next-generation systems enter service.

The aircraft’s arrival will also strengthen Spain’s contribution to NATO deterrence. Modern Eurofighters equipped with AESA radar and long-range air-to-air missiles can support Baltic air policing, southern European air defense, expeditionary deployments, and multinational exercises, where data sharing, sensor fusion, and rapid reaction remain essential.

The new aircraft also reinforces a broader trend already visible across Europe: countries are not waiting for future sixth-generation combat systems before upgrading current fleets. Spain’s HALCON I Eurofighter shows how a 4.5-generation combat aircraft can remain operationally decisive when paired with AESA radar, advanced missiles, digital connectivity, and a national industrial base capable of sustaining upgrades over decades.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.