Movimientos de aviones militares estadounidenses desde Morón y Rota en un contexto de creciente tensión con Irán

En los últimos días se ha observado un incremento de movimientos de aviones militares estadounidenses hacia Oriente Medio, detectados a través de seguimiento de vuelos de fuentes abiertas y cuentas especializadas en aviación militar. Estos movimientos han generado un escenario de preparación operativa y disuasión reforzada, más que una decisión inmediata de ataque, que podrían llevar a una posible acción militar contra Irán. 

Morón y Rota, el papel logístico de las bases estadounidenses en España 

(Recientes movimientos de KC-135 de la USAF desde la base de Morón mostrados por el usuario de X @WarMonitor3

La Base Aérea de Morón vuelve a aparecer como un nodo logístico clave dentro de la arquitectura de proyección de poder de Estados Unidos. Su uso recurrente por parte de aviones cisterna KC-135 y KC-46 responde a factores bien conocidos: ubicación estratégica en el eje Atlántico–Mediterráneo, infraestructura consolidada y capacidad para sostener operaciones de largo alcance hacia el Golfo.

Las recientes salidas de aviones cisterna desde Morón, han estado apoyando vuelos de traslado y despliegue a la base aérea de Al Udeid, en Catar.

Su sincronización con otros movimientos aéreos eleva su relevancia y las sitúa claramente fuera de una simple rotación rutinaria.

itamilradar.com: 3 KC-135 en vuelo hacia la base estadounidense de Al Udeid, en Catar, desde Morón, España

El despliegue de EA-18G Growler desde la base de Rota

Más significativo resulta el movimiento de aviones EA-18G Growler de la US Navy, escoltados por cisternas, hacia posiciones avanzadas en Oriente Medio, incluyendo Catar. El Growler es un sistema especializado de guerra electrónica, diseñado para la supresión y degradación de defensas aéreas enemigas, la interferencia de radares y la protección de paquetes aéreos tanto furtivos como convencionales.

Itamilradar.com: 6 EA-18G Growler despegan desde Rota, España, en dirección a posiciones en Oriente Medio

Históricamente, el despliegue de estas plataformas ha buscado maximizar la libertad de acción aérea, especialmente frente a entornos defendidos por sistemas SAM avanzados.

Qué señala realmente esta combinación de activos

La combinación de cisternas y aeronaves de guerra electrónica apunta a un refuerzo de capacidades clave: alcance, persistencia y supervivencia. Los aviones cisterna permiten sostener operaciones a gran distancia, mientras que los Growlers reducen el riesgo operativo en caso de que el espacio aéreo se vuelva disputado.

Desde una perspectiva doctrinal, este tipo de movimientos indica una transición desde la señalización estratégica hacia la preparación operativa. No implica necesariamente una orden de ataque, pero sí la voluntad de asegurar que, si se toma una decisión política, los medios estén ya posicionados para ejecutarla sin demoras.

Irán, disuasión y especulación sobre el calendario

Algunas operaciones se planifican teniendo en cuenta factores políticos, civiles o económicos. Este fin de semana coincide con el cierre de mercados financieros, y su reanudación el lunes, sería de forma más realista, una vez confirmados los resultados de una posible acción militar.

Los avisos a civiles, despliegues navales o incrementos de retórica deben entenderse como parte de una estrategia de presión y disuasión más amplia, no como pruebas concluyentes de un conflicto inminente.

Un patrón conocido

El patrón observado encaja con episodios anteriores de tensión entre Estados Unidos e Irán: movimientos visibles pero controlados, despliegue escalonado de capacidades críticas y una ambigüedad deliberada. El objetivo principal suele ser moldear el entorno estratégico, influir en la toma de decisiones del adversario y mantener la iniciativa en la escalada.

En este marco, España, con las bases estadounidenses situadas en Rota y Morón, actúa como facilitador logístico, un papel silencioso y esencial para permitir que las fuerzas estadounidenses operen con flexibilidad y profundidad estratégica.

La actividad reciente de aviones cisterna estadounidenses y EA-18G Growler debe interpretarse como una señal de preparación seria. En los conflictos modernos, las decisiones no se anuncian de forma explícita, sino que se anticipan mediante ajustes discretos en logística, bases y activos de apoyo.

Por ahora, lo que se observa es el posicionamiento de capacidades y la apertura de opciones. La maquinaria está lista, pero aún no se ha puesto en marcha.

Ejercito del Aire Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons from Ala 14 Ala 11 at Red Flag 2020-2 Nellis AB

Spanish ship 'Juan Carlos I' embarks MV-22 Osprey squadron

Spanish Navy LHD 'Juan Carlos I', ship has embarked a USMC MV-22 Osprey squadron for the first time and is demonstrating a great level of interoperability between the two services
The Spanish Navy (Armada Española) has claimed to be the first non-US naval service to embark a squadron of the US Marine Corps' (USMC's) Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft on board one of its ships. The embarkation took place during Exercise 'Trident Juncture 2015'.
The four Osprey transports, are stationed at the Morón de la Frontera Air Base in southern Spain.
For 'Trident Juncture 2015' the aircraft were embarked with six of the Armada's AV-8B Harrier and an AB-212 helicopter from the 27,000-tonne landing helicopter dock (LHD) Juan Carlos I .
The role of the Ospreys during the exercise was to ferry mixed companies of US Marines and their Portuguese and Spanish counterparts, the Fuzileiros and Infantería de Marina respectively.
The Ospreys were escorted during the insertion and extraction of the troops by the Spanish Navy's Harriers. In all 100 US Marines were embarked on the LHD, including support personnel, over a period of three days.
Apart from the tactical missions, some of the US pilots had the opportunity to complete their deck landing qualifications, performing landings and take-off from different spots of the flight deck.
janes

Colombian Air Force explores Eurofighter in Spain

A team from the Colombian Air Force (FAC) evaluated the Eurofighter during a visit to one of the two Spanish Air Force wings operating the European multirole fighter.
The trip included two flight missions with the Ala 11 (Wing) based at Morón de la Frontera near the southern city of Seville, the Spanish Air Force revealed in the November edition of its official publication, Aeronáutica y Astronáutica .
It said the FAC team was also given a demonstration of various exercises such as in-flight refuelling.
Ala 11, which shares its base with the US Marine Corps' rapid reaction force for Africa, also gave a presentation of logistics support, including maintenance of the aircraft and its weapons systems.
janes

US Marines fuel Spanish Typhoons fighters mid-flight

A Eurofighter Typhoon with the Spanish Air Force receives fuel from a U.S. Marine KC-130J Hercules with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, August 13, in Spain. A total of five Spanish pilots and their aircraft had the opportunity to practice their air-to-air refueling skills with the Marines.
dvidshub

US, Spain Sign Deal On Permanent Base For Africa Force

Washington and Madrid signed a deal Wednesday setting up a permanent force of 2,200 US Marines based in southern Spain who can be swiftly deployed to crises in Africa.
The US already has a rapid reaction force of about 800 troops at Morón de la Frontera, near Seville, who were deployed temporarily in the wake of the 2012 attack on a US mission in Benghazi, eastern Libya.
Wednesday's accord amends a 1988 defense partnership between the two countries.
The main mission of the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response unit will be to protect US embassies in Africa, evacuate civilians in difficulty, or intervene in conflicts or humanitarian crises.
It will come under the US military command for Africa (AFRICOM) which is based in Stuttgart, Germany.
defensenews

US wants elite Marine squad to be stationed permanently in Morón de La Frontera, Spain

The United States is seeking permission from Spain to convert its temporary presence at the Morón de la Frontera air base, in Andalusia, into a permanent agreement. The site would become the center of operations for the US rapid-response unit dealing with crises in Africa.
In a letter sent last month, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel explained to Spanish officials that the Obama administration wants the current temporary agreement that allows a certain number of marines to be stationed at the base outside Seville on a year-by-year basis to be redrafted. If approved, as many as 3,000 US troops could be sent to Morón – a substantial increase to the current 850 officials (or 1,100 when troops are being relieved) that have been at the base for the past two years, military sources said.
But such a move means that there will have to be major changes to the current bilateral treaty regarding the US government’s use of Spanish bases, which will also have to be approved by Congress.
Major changes will be needed to the bilateral treaty regarding the US government’s use of Spanish bases
Although not surprised by Hagel’s request, some Spanish officials said privately that they are unhappy that the Obama administration waited this long to ask for the change. The current agreement to use Morón as a temporary base runs out on April 19, which doesn’t leave either side much time to hammer out a new treaty.
With municipal and regional elections slated for May, and the dissolution of Congress scheduled for the fall, neither Washington nor Madrid want to leave this decision for a new incoming parliament as they both fear the Popular Party (PP) won’t have a majority to get it passed by lawmakers. The government of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said that it will ask the Socialists for their support to modify the treaty.
According to sources, Spain could offer the United States an extension to the existing agreement to give the two countries ample time to negotiate changes to the existing treaty and deliver it to Congress for its approval.
Neither Washington nor Madrid want to leave this decision for a new incoming parliament
In 2013, the United States asked Spain to lease the base at Morón so that it could quickly respond to any crises originating in Africa. The request was made for one year, and renewed in 2014. Initially, Madrid only allowed 500 Marines at Morón, but increased that number to 850 last March.
Spain plays an important role in the Pentagon’s military strategy in Africa and Europe. In October 2011, Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero allowed the United States to use the Rota naval base in Cádiz as part of NATO’s defense shield. The guided missile destroyers USS Donald Cook and USS Ross, which are both stationed at Rota, were deployed to the Black Sea last year during the Ukrainian crisis.
The Special Purpose Marine Ground Task Force (SP-MAGTF), which was created in 2013 following the assault on the US diplomatic mission in Bengazhi the previous year, has been training with Spanish elite squads.
One of the most sensitive issues is the number of troops that will be stationed at Morón when the treaty is signed. “What we don’t want is an open bar,” said one diplomatic source. “The Spanish government needs to be informed precisely during a crisis and control any military operations originating from its soil.”
elpais

Comienza el Despliegue de los Typhoon del Ejército del Aire en los Países Bálticos

El próximo lunes, 29 de diciembre, volarán hacia Estonia los cuatro Eurofighter del Ala 11, que hasta el mes de abril, garantizarán la seguridad del espacio aéreo de los Países Bálticos.
Los aviones se desplegarán en la Base Aérea de Ameri, a unos 40 kilómetros al suroeste de Tallín.
Más de 120 hombres y mujeres del Ala 11, con base en Morón de la Frontera (Sevilla), se desplazarán hasta Estonia. Algunos de ellos ya están allí y los demás se irán incorporando a lo largo de los próximos días. Es el caso del grueso del personal de mantenimiento, que volarán el domingo 28 en un Hércules del Ala 31 (Base Aérea de Zaragoza).
En su vuelo hasta el Báltico, los Eurofighter irán acompañados por un Boeing 707 del 47 Grupo con base en Torrejón de Ardóz (Madrid), en el que viajará otro grupo de integrantes del Ala 11, en apoyo a la misión.
El Ejército del Aire ya desempeñó esta misión en el año 2006. En aquella ocasión fueron aviones Mirage F-1M del Ala 14 de la Base Aérea de Albacete los que se desplazaron, también durante cuatro meses, a la Base Aérea de Siauliai , en Lituania.
ejercitodelaire

Most Spanish Eurofighter jets can't fly

According to Spanish daily El Confidencial Digital, unnamed military sources have warned that the Eurofighter Typhoon air fleet is crippled by breakdowns, lack of spare parts and delayed inspections.
The claims come just a day after Spain announced plans to pump €10 billion ($12.7 billion) into new defence programs after six years of cutbacks as a result of the economic crisis.
Eurofighters were not, however, named in the list of projects due to receive a funding boost.
The investment will instead go towards the new F-110 frigates, drones, and the infamous S-80 sinking submarines.
Only six Eurofighters in Spain's Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) service in bases at Morón de la Frontera and Albacete are currently capable of taking off, according to military insiders. These jets are kept ready to scramble 24 hours a day, year-round, to intercept suspicious aircraft in Spanish airspace.
The rest of Spain's Eurofighter planes have allegedly been grounded by breakdowns, missing spare parts and queues for inspections after reaching the maximum number of hours in the air.
In June, Spain's foreign minister claimed that four Eurofighters would be sent to the Baltic region as part of the country's NATO commitments. But because of the condition of the Eurofighter fleet, sources inside the military claim that ageing F-18 fighter jets were being prepared to be sent instead.
Official Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources denied this and insisted that Spain would still be able to send Eurofighters as originally intended. They also denied the existence of any shortage of spare parts.
thelocal

Eurofighter Jet Crashes In Spain, Pilot Killed

A Eurofighter jet crashed while attempting to landing at an air base in southwestern Spain on Monday, killing its pilot, an air force captain.
The Moron air base is shared by Spain and the US Air Force, but only Spain operates the Eurofighter jet.
defensenews

US crisis response Marines mobilized for north Africa threat

A team of crisis response Marines has moved from Spain to a U.S. base in southern Italy in response to new security concerns in northern Africa.
About 180 Marines and sailors, along with two KC130s and four Ospreys, were moved Tuesday to NAS Sigonella in Sicily. The base is a strategic launching pad that offers quick access to potential hot spots in northern Africa. The team is ready to respond if needed to undisclosed security concerns at U.S. installations in the region.
The concerns are centered on Libya.
The Morón, a Spain-based Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response unit, formed last year in the wake of the attacks on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, is mobilized periodically in connection with potential threats in Africa. The unit took part in embassy evacuation efforts in South Sudan last year.
The latest alert comes at a time when there are security concerns stretching from Mali, where French forces have been fighting Islamic militants, to Nigeria, where U.S. military personnel are assisting in the search for girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram regional terrorist group.
By moving Marines to Sigonella, the troops are now a short flight from Libya, where there also has been widespread concern over Islamic militants taking root there. In Yemen last week, the U.S. suspended operations at its embassy, citing security concerns. Last month, U.S. officials killed two armed Yemenis who were trying to kidnap them.
In March, the Defense Department announced it would boost its presence in Spain, adding more Marines, slating to grow from 500 to 850 Marines.
stripes

US sends 175 Marines to boost force in Romania

The United States is sending 175 more Marines to Romania to extend the U.S. military’s ability to respond to crises around the region.
Nearly 300 Marines are already present as part of the Black Sea rotational force. The newly arriving troops, will be part of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force headquartered in Moron, Spain.
The Marine unit — which will increase in size from 500 to 675 troops — is tasked by U.S. Africa Command, but could be used elsewhere in the region if needed.
The move is unrelated to the recent confrontation between Ukraine and Russia over the Crimean Peninsula.
The United States has sought authorization to add up to 600 additional troops the approximately 1,000 now stationed at what the U.S. military calls the MK Air Base in Romania.
stripes

Video del Primer lanzamiento IRIS-T desde un Eurofighter del Ejército de Aire

El Ejército del Aire ha sido la primera fuerza aérea en lanzar un misil IRIS-T en modo digital desde un Eurofighter adelantándose a otras fuerzas aéreas aliadas.

Spain OKs boost in crisis response force Marines

The Spanish government will allow an additional 300 Marines to be based at Morón Air Base to respond to crises in Africa.
The Marine Corps has the go-ahead to boost the size of its Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response from about 550 Marines to 850. Spain also will allow the unit to remain at Morón Air Base for another year.
The land-based crisis response force was stood up last year to fill a gap in available Navy amphibious ships in the region. The crisis-response Marines can be tapped to carry out a variety of operational missions — including embassy reinforcement — throughout Africa.
The unit typically comprises about 550 Marines, six MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and two KC-130J aerial refueling planes.
Spain also approved additional Marine Corps aircraft to be based there.
marinecorpstimes

US Marines, Spanish pilots conduct bilateral carrier landings

As part of a larger effort to increase international cooperation, U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response conducted a bilateral carrier qualification with their Spanish counterparts from Maneuver Helicopter Battalion #4 (BHELMA IV) aboard USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44).
The carrier qualification gave the pilots from SP-MAGTF Crisis Response and BHELMA IV a dedicated opportunity to practice fundamental skills associated with operating carrier-based aircraft and demonstrate acceptable levels of proficiency.
Positioned out of Morón Air Base, Spain, the approximately 500 personnel of SP-MAGTF CR come from various elements of the Marine Corps: aviation, ground combat arms, and logistics. As a part of their mission, SP-MAGTF CR conducts military-to-military training with African and European nations.
The Marines created the unit as part of the Department of Defense’s continuing effort to improve its crisis response capability around the globe.
SP-MAGTF CR is a self-deployable and highly mobile force designed to respond to missions in the U.S. Africa Command and U.S. European Command areas of responsibility.
Various aircraft were used during the training. The Marines flew the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, while BHELMA IV flew both the CH-47 Chinook and the AS532 Cougar helicopters. During the carrier qualification, take-off and landing were performed in mixed sections, meaning that American and Spanish aircraft were paired together for alternating landings.
marforeur.marines

No end in sight for 1-year-old US Air Force mission over Mali

The yearlong U.S. Air Force operation over Mali in support of the French mission there is set to continue for the immediate future.
January marks the one-year anniversary of the U.S. mission over the West African nation. While the Pentagon does not expect it to go on indefinitely, no end date has been set.
Although Mali has regained some stability, holding elections for a new government since French forces intervened to halt the advance of al-Qaeda-linked militants, the French continue to deploy a military contingent there.
French President wants to cut the French presence considerably in the near future and hand over security responsibility to African Union and U.N. forces. Paris plans to reduce the number of its troops in Mali to 1,600 next month, down from the 2,500 now serving there.
351st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, which runs the refueling missions out of Moron, Spain, continues flying almost every day to fuel French aircraft, but that the pace of operations has decreased.
Read more

Marines positioned to respond to South Sudan if needed

About 150 Marines were dispatched to the Horn of Africa from Spain on Monday to be positioned to provide security or evacuate Americans from violence-racked South Sudan.
The move follows an incident Saturday in which three aircraft were hit by ground fire as they attempted to rescue Americans.
The aircraft turned back, but another effort Sunday was successful in evacuating Americans from Bor in South Sudan.
The Marines arrived in Djibouti from their base in Moron, Spain. They are from a force of more than 500 Marines established this year to more quickly respond to crises in Africa. The special purpose "air-ground task force" is trained to provide security for U.S. property and evacuate Americans when needed. They are capable of responding to a crisis within six hours of notification.
Security in South Sudan has been deteriorating for the past week and hundreds of Americans and other foreigners have been evacuated in recent days, the State Department has said. The country plunged into chaos after an attempted coup triggered fighting between rival ethnic groups.
usatoday

US Defence Secretary Hagel Discusses Syria, Cooperation With Spain’s Defense Minister

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with Spanish Defense Minister Pedro Morenés at the Pentagon yesterday
In a statement summarizing the meeting, Hagel and Morenés spoke at length about the violence in Syria.
The two leaders discussed Spain's support of a joint statement issued at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, condemning the Syrian regime’s Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians and supporting the efforts by the United States and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on chemical weapons use.
Hagel also thanked Morenés for Spain's support of U.S. forces, specifically at Morón Air Base and Naval Station Rota. Hagel and Morenés discussed security challenges in Africa, including piracy, illicit trafficking, and terrorism.
The importance of supporting security and stability in Afghanistan after the NATO military mission ends there in 2014 was another subject the two leaders discussed
Secretary Hagel thanked Spain for being a valued ally, and conveyed the United States' appreciation for Spain's steadfast commitment to Afghanistan".
defense.gov

La ultra rápida aeronave que transportará a los «marines» de Sevilla a África

El destacamento de 550 «marines» estadounidenses que se encuentra ya en la base aérea de Morón de la Frontera (Sevilla) para responder a cualquier crisis que acontezca en el norte de África cuenta con seis aeronaves MV-22 «Osprey» para poder transportar de modo inmediato a la fuerza de reacción rápida de EE.UU.
Además, el destacamento dispondrá de dos aviones KC 130J «Super Hercules» para su abastecimiento en vuelo o evacuación médica y poder tener así total independencia en las misiones.
Esteban Villarejo, Por Tierra Mar y Aire

Spain authorizes U.S. rapid reaction force in Morón Air Base

Spain’s government has authorized the temporary deployment of a force of 500 U.S. Marines and eight U.S. aircraft to the southwestern Moron de la Frontera air base as part of rapid reaction force to deal with crisis situations in Africa.
The authorization stems from a 1988 cooperation agreement between Spain and the U.S. and was granted for a period of one year by Spain’s Cabinet on Friday.
Spain previously authorized the temporary deployment from March to November 2011, of up to 45 aircraft at the Moron and Rota bases.
The U.S. Embassy in Madrid said Friday that “following the tragedy in the Libyan city of Benghazi,” where four U.S. citizens were killed, the U.S. recognized the need for a force able to respond quickly to crises in northwest Africa.

militarytimes