Airbus DS rolls out first Halcon Eurofighter for Spain

The first of 45 Halcon I and Halcon II Eurofighters for the Spanish Air and Space Force was rolled out of the Getafe production facility near Madrid on 1 June 2026. (Airbus DS)

Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has presented the first of 45 Eurofighter C.16 combat aircraft that Spain is acquiring under two separate Halcon procurement programmes.

The first twin-seater for the Halcon programme was rolled out of the Getafe final assembly line near Madrid on 1 June 2026, still in its primer ahead of induction into the paint shop, flight testing, and delivery later in the year.

“The first Eurofighter Halcon I for the Spanish Air and Space Force [Ejército del Aire Español: EdAE] has rolled out at our Getafe facilities in Madrid!” Airbus DS said. “Everything is ready for the first engine run and the maiden flight.”

Spain has ordered 20 Halcon I and 25 Halcon II Eurofighters, comprising 16 single-seat and four twin-seat Halcon I and 21 single-seat and four twin-seat aircraft respectively. The new airframes will partially replace some older standard Eurofighters, as well as some Boeing EF-18A and EF-18B Hornet aircraft.

The Halcon I jets will be at the Tranche 4 standard, which is largely defined by the inclusion of the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 1 Step 0 (later to be upgraded to Step 1) active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, developed by Leonardo with input from Hensoldt and Indra.

The Halcon II jets will be at Tranche 4+ that will essentially be Tranche 4, “plus some improvements”. Airbus DS previously told Janes that that if the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) enhancements are ready by the time of production then these will be incorporated into the jets, effectively making them Tranche 5 standard.