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Spanish
Struggles
T
of an active electronically-scanned
array (AESA) radar to dramatically
improve target detection and
radar performance. As such,
the EdA is following the Royal
Air Forces Typhoon plans very
closely, since the British jets are
arguably the most advanced of all.
There is also great benefit in
continuing the highly successful
policy of sharing experience and
flying joint manoeuvres with other
Typhoon operators, in particular
the RAF, which used the aircraft in
combat during Operation Unified
Protector over Libya in 2011.
The harsh reality is that the
economic crisis has led to deep
cuts in defence budgets. The EdA
was forced to trim its projected
Typhoon buy from 87 to 73, and
to cease acquisition at Tranche
3A, without being included in
the definitive Tranche 3B buy.
Hornet upgrade
Above: The upgraded Hornets of Ala 12 now use Taurus cruise missiles for
attacking high-value targets from safe distances. All photos author unless stated
Coming up to its
75th anniversary,
Spains Ejrcito del
Aire continues to
struggle after years of
fierce defence cuts.
Yet upgrades to its
Hornet fleet and slow
development of the
Typhoon force are
maintaining capability,
as Salvador Maf
Huertas explains.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
Organisation
www.airforcesdaily.com
The Ejrcito del Aire is organised into flying and ground units,
the latter
including radar stations, special forces, support and logistics organisat
ions.
Several squadrons exist on paper as discrete units, but operate
with no real
division between them in terms of personnel or equipment.
The Fuerza Area (air force) is the EdAs flying component, defi
ned under
Article 2 of Royal Decree 416/2006 as personnel and materiel
grouped
and organised for the primary task of preparing for and conductin
g military
operations. The decree also defines Mando Areo de Combate
(MACOM,
Air Combat Command), Mando Areo General (MAGEN, General
Air Command) and Mando Areo de Canarias (Canary Islands Air Comman
d).
Base
Squadrons
Ala 11
Morn
Ala 12
Torrejn
121 Esc
F-18A+/M (C/CE.15)
Ala 14
Albacete
142 Esc *
EF-2000 (C/CE.16)
Ala 15
Zaragoza
F-18A+/M (C/CE.15)
Ala 31
Zaragoza
311 Esc
C-130H/KC-130H/C-130H-30
(T/TK/TL.10)
Ala 35
Getafe
351 Esc
C-295 (T.21)
47 Grupo
Torrejn
FRANCE
ANDORRA
Villanubla
Atlantic
Sea
Zaragoza
Balearic Sea
Cuatro Vientos
Getafe
PORTUGAL
Menorca
Torrejn
Madrid
Mallorca
Son San Juan
Ibiza
SPAIN
Talavera
Albacete
Alcantarilla
San Javier
Mediterranean Sea
Canary Islands
Morn
Las Palmas
Armilla
Tenerife
Strait of Gibraltar
Gando
Gran Canaria
www.airforcesmonthly.com
Above: The Spanish Air Force currently operates both KC-130H and Boeing 707 tankers as force multipliers. EdA
Left: A Typhoon sits in a QRA shelter at Moron Air Base.
Below right: No 22 Grupo, the second operational unit of Ala 11 at Moron Air Base, has three P-3Ms (modernizad), two
P-3Bs and two P-3As, flying with 221 Escuadrn.
Below: A Boeing 707 transport/tanker from 471 Escuadrn returns to Gando Air Base, Canary Islands, after a sortie. Wim Das
Base
Sqns
Aircraft (Spanish
designation)
Ala 37
Villanubla
371 Esc
C.212 (T.12B)
Ala 48
Cuatro Vientos/
Getafe (depending
on MACOM CSAR
tasking)
402 and
803 Esc
Ala 49
801 Esc
43 Grupo
Torrejn
431 and
432 Esc
CL-215T/415 (UD.13T/
UD.14)
45 Grupo
Torrejn
451 Esc
CECAF
Getafe
403 and
409 Esc
CLAEX
Torrejn
541 Esc
www.airforcesdaily.com
Supporting assets
UCAVs
Upgrades and
acquisitions
An Ala 11 Eurofighter, one of four deployed to mari Air Base, in Estonia taxies to the runway on March 23. The jets
were there as part of a fourth month NATO Baltic Air Policing mission that ended on May 4. Cristian Schrik
Apoyo a la Fuerza
The Apoyo a la Fuerza (Support
Force) manages, administers
and controls air force materiel,
financial and human resources,
including the logistics that
facilitate day-to-day functionality
across units. It includes the
Mando de Personal (MAPER,
Personnel Command - see page
75), MALOG and the Direccin
de Asuntos Econmicos (DAE,
Directorate of Economic Aff airs).
Above: SF-5Bs of Ala 23, based at Talavera, are used for fighter lead-in training
and have undergone an extensive avionics and structural upgrade in recent
years, which included replacing the ejection seats. EdA
Below: The EdA has five Falcon 900s on strength with 451 Escuadrn, 45 Grupo
at Torrejn AB. JM Santaner
Base
Sqns
Ala 46
Gando
462 Esc
F/A-18A (C.15)
802 Esc
Gando
Bombardier CL-415s of 43 Grupo are tasked to put out the many wildfires that blaze across Spain in the summer months.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
Mando de Personal
Personnel Command is responsible for the management of air force personnel,
primarily through pilot and aircrew training. Its units include the Academia
General del Aire (AGA, Air Academy), Grupo de Escuelas de Matacn (GRUEMA)
and Escuela Militar de Paracaidismo (EMP).
Mando de Personal
Parent Unit
Base
Sqns
AGA
San Javier
791, 792
C.101 (E.25), T-35C (E.26),
and 794 Esc CASA C-127 (U.9)
Ala 23
Talavera
231 Esc
SF-5B/M (AE.9)
Ala 78
Armilla
781 and
782 Esc
GRUEMA
Matacn
42 Grupo
Villanubla
721 Esc/EMP
Alcantarilla
C.212 (T.12B)
Above right: Gando-based 802 Escuadrn covers SAR taskings on Gran Canaria, operating the AS332 Super Puma. EdA
Below: Of all the helicopters operated by the air force, the smallest, but one of the most modern, is the Eurocopter EC120B Colibri. Fifteen, purchased in late 1999, are operated by Ala 78 at Armilla, Granada, to train Spanish military and
police helicopter pilots the basic rotary course. Instructor pilots from the unit make up the Patrulla ASPA display team.
A grim picture
www.airforcesdaily.com
Above: Patrulla guila, the EdAs jet demonstration team, is based at San Javier
Air Base, operating C-101EB Aviojet basic trainers.
Spanish
Eurofighters on
NATO Baltic Air
Policing duty
From January 1 until May 4, the
Spanish Air Force detached four
Eurofighters from Morn-based
Ala 11 to mari Air Base in Estonia. The jets were present as part
of the NATO Baltic Air Policing
mission, which since May 2014
has seen mari used as a second
Baltic base (the other is in Lithuania) to host NATO fighters.
The Spanish deployment was led
by Lt Col Enrique Fernndez Ambel, who told reporters at a press
conference on April 22 that the
alert response time required by
NATO had been reduced from 30
minutes to 15. He also revealed
that the Spanish Eurofighters had
flown 400 hours and carried out
ten interceptions.
The commander headed up
a team of 115 people, which
included pilots, maintenance crew
and support personnel as well as
a doctor and fire rescue team. He
explained there had only been a
few serviceability issues during
the 300 or so start-ups. Their
deployment, which started in dark
winter, saw the Spanish Eurofighters operating in some severe
conditions, including snow and
temperatures of -20C. Unusual
weather for the Spanish Air Force!
To date there have been four
NATO detachments to Estonia,
initially by Royal Danish F-16s,
which were relieved by German
Air Force/TaktLwG 74 Eurofighters from Neuberg. They handed
over to the Spanish Eurofighters
before they were succeeded by
the RAFs 6 Squadron Typhoon
FGR4s out of RAF Lossiemouth,
Scotland. Alan Warnes