Spain approves deal for 25 New Eurofighters under 'Halcon II' program

The Spanish Government approved a budget of 4.593 million euros on September 14 for the expansion of the Falcon program, which includes the acquisition of another 25 Eurofighters to replace some of the EF-18Ms in service and received in the period 1986-1990 and meet the needs of the first phase, in which 20 aircraft were already purchased to replace the ageing ex US Navy F-18s that equip the F-18 for the Canary Islands.

Spain already has 69 Eurofighter fighters. The acquired version will be the most modern, far from the early ones that left the Airbus factories. This Tranche 4 includes updates in software and radar, specifically the AESA ESCAN MK1, in which the Spanish company Indra works in consortium with the German Hensoldt. The new ESCAN Mk1 electronically scanned array radar will provide the ability to track multiple targets at close range while simultaneously scanning airspace hundreds of kilometers away.

The new Eurofighters will incorporate the Brimstone air-to-surface missile, the Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile, the AGM-88E AARGM anti-radar missile, the Iris-T air-to-air missile, and the AARGM air-to-surface missile, as well as the JDAM guided bomb.

The version ordered by Spain is very similar to the 38 Eurofighters ordered by Germany for the Luftwaffe under the Quadriga program.

The 20 Eurofighters whose purchase Spain announced to replace the F-18s of the 46th Wing in the Canary Islands, and the 25 new ones announced within the Falcon 2 Program, will incorporate many of the improvements from the Quadriga project, including the ability to be armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 150 kilometers.

The Spanish Air Force currently has a fleet of 69 Eurofighter fighters (17 Tranche 1, 32 Tranche 2, and 20 Tranche 3), distributed between Los Llanos AB, Albacete (Wing 14), and Morón de la Frontera AB, Seville (Wing 11). It is planned that the entire fleet will be capable of using the Meteor missile.

The first aircraft of the Falcon 1 program will leave the Airbus assembly plant in Getafe in 2026, with the following delivery dates: 3 aircraft in 2026, 5 in 2027, 6 in 2028, 4 in 2029, and 2 in 2030. With the addition of the 25 new Eurofighters, Spain will have a total of 114 units of this model.

According to unofficial sources, with this deal, Spain is clearing the way to acquire the F-35 to replace the remaining EF-18M, which already has official budget allocated