By George Stephens • Published: 07 Jan 2020 • 8:23
Spain is lending its full support to US forces as the military build up prepares for the current crisis due to an agreement between the Spanish and US governments.
Due to an agreement set at the end of last year in November 2015, Spain agreed for the U.S. Air Base Morón to be a permanent fixture for the foreseeable future. The mission of Morón Air Base is to operate and maintain a strategic forward operating base to support the US and Allied air/space power projection, to include transient and aircraft maintenance operations.
The agreement was originally for potential conflicts in North Africa and Spain agreed for the U.S. Air Base Morón to be a permanent fixture for the foreseeable future.
Spain agreed to at least 3,000 troops and an increase of 40 aircraft to be stationed at the Southern Spain military installation. Already the U.S. military personnel stationed at the base have been used to respond to crises in Africa but now will support the Iran crisis as well.
Flight radar yesterday saw US military planes leaving a base as they flew over Spain to the Middle East although these aircraft were supply planes for troops on the ground rather than attack planes supplied from Naval air base nearby Roton.
Morón Air Base, Spain, is located in Andalusia, the country’s southernmost region. It is less than an hour away from Seville, a city of almost one million people famous for its flamenco shows, spring festivals, and bullfights. Moron is also and 75 miles northeast of Naval Station Rota. The installation is located in a quiet and rural setting within several hours of many major historical and tourist locations in Spain.
The base itself gets its name from the town of Morón de la Frontera situated nearby where American troops reside and is the home of the US to the C-5 Air Bridge and 496th Air Base Squadron.
Up to 3,000 American troops and civilians of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force can be stationed there, while the number of aircraft is limited to 40 after the recent 2015 agreement between the U.S and the Spanish.
Military plane spotter former Naval chief Fred Soul, who served in the Falklands war and the Suez Canal crisis told the Euro Weekly News ” I read reports in the press yesterday regards planes taking off from Spain and going to the Middle East and being spotted on Flight radar apps, but that’s a normal occurrence as they are simply supply planes, they fly back and forth from Roton naval base, whilst any aircraft from Morón can’t be seen as they are classified aircraft”
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