Spain's contribution to integrated air defense in Europe

In a context in which threats are constantly evolving and defense strategies require continuous adaptation, it is essential to analyze how Spain contributes to European aviation security, and what capabilities it contributes to this defensive outline .

Aviation security is one of the most important pillars of Europe's collective defense, not only because of the ever-increasing technological progress, but also because of the growing threat posed by Russia. To meet these technological and geopolitical challenges, NATO and the European Union have carried out various projects to strengthen the continent's air security and thus ensure some deterrence against potential aggressors.

Spain, as an active member of both organizations, makes a fundamental contribution to their defense structure, participating in projects to strengthen air defense, such as NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defense System, and in initiatives within the EU framework such as Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Moreover, it is involved in the FCAS (Future Combat Air System) program, a multinational project involving France, Germany and Spain for the development of a sixth generation combat air system.

Context and strategic framework

Since the founding of the Warsaw Pact in 1955, the possibility of an attack from the Soviet bloc made the continent's air security a key part of NATO's operational and contingency plans. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the imminence of the threat ceased, such defense became secondary. Now, following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the recent war in Ukraine, awareness of the importance of maintaining a credible air defense to protect the entire Alliance territory from this new Russian threat has experienced a revival that has been reflected in the context of the transatlantic alliance through the design of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense (NATO IAMD) System, which the Alliance has been strengthening since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in line with changes to its Strategic Concept, the document that sets the basis for NATO's deterrence and defense posture.

Likewise, in the European Union framework , progress can be seen in improving air defense with initiatives such as PESCO with the European Initiative for the Standardization of Collaborative Air Combat or, even, the European Defense Fund initiative in 2016.

At the present time, cooperation between the two organizations is desirable, even if NATO continues to maintain the main component of air security, and despite the fact that the EU continues to development its Common Foreign and Security Policy, even to the point of setting up aEuropean army . Spain, therefore, as a member country of both organizations, contributes capabilities to the various projects to ensure greater efficiency in the field of European defense.

Spain in NATO's integrated air defense system

Firstly, Spain plays an important role in NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defense System (NATO IAMD), whose purpose is the protection of Alliance airspace, incorporating measures such as continuous air surveillance and ballistic missile defense for deterrence purposes, or to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of an attack. A unified command integrates the different capabilities of the participating countries.

In the case of Spain, its involvement takes place in two ways: through national strategic infrastructures and through operations abroad. One of the most important contributions in the first case is through the Combined Operations Center(CAOC) located at the Torrejón Air Base in Madrid. The CAOC is one of the main command centers of the Alliance, and the main one in charge of airspace surveillance in the south of NATO territory. Spain also contributes to the Tactical Leadership Program(TLP) at Albacete Air Base, a training center for allied fighter aircrews.

In terms of operations, Spain actively collaborates in the defense of Europe through its participation in missions executed on the Eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance in the framework of the 'Persistent Effort' operation, established in 2017 to bring together different Air and Missile Defense efforts undertaken since 2014 with a deterrent character in Eastern Europe. In that framework, Spain deploys, under CAOC control, means on a rotational basis in two main operations: 'Baltic Air Policing', in the Baltic republics, and 'Enhanced Air Policing', in Romania.

In the first one, the participation is in the form of an air detachment with F-18 or Eurofighter 'Typhoon' aircraft when they are activated. Until July 2024, the EAS participated in the BAP with the 'Vilkas' Detachment (Lithuania) with 8 F-18 aircraft, 1 A-400 and 190 military personnel. In the second, until the end of March 2025, it participated with the 'Paznic' Detachment, composed of 150 EAS members, 6 Eurofighter C.16, and 1 A-400 deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase in Romania, as well as with a radar in the 'Tigru' Detachment in the same country.

Two NASAMS air defense units (UDAA) deployed in Estonia and Latvia, and a Patriot unit in Turkey complete the Spanish contribution to this effort.

Spain and air defense in the European Union framework

By the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam, the Union reached the agreement to articulate a common defense policy. Later, article 42.2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) established the possibility of developing such an instrument, subject to the approval of the European committee . However, the states, reluctant to submit to the Union such a sensitive aspect of their national sovereignty, have made little progress in defining this common policy.

In recent years, and especially in recent months, the European Union has stepped up its efforts to provide itself with real strategic autonomy, including in the air domain. In this regard, the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which came into operation in 2017 to foster cooperation between Member States for the development of defense capabilities, has been one of the frameworks in which these efforts have been channeled. Contributions to PESCO from member states are assessed by the European Defense Agency; their actions must be authorized by the committee.

Within PESCO, Spain is collaborating in different projects such as the European Initiative for the Standardization of Collaborative Air Combat (EICACS), in which Spanish companies like Airbus Defence and Space, GMV Aerospace and Defence SAU, Indra Sistemas SA or the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, among others, are taking part, with the goal of standardizing collaborative air combat, ensuring the interoperability of diverse resources and facilitating the efficient integration of future air combat systems.

In addition, Spain is one of the members of the European Defense Fund, a program to finance military innovation projects. In the area of air cooperation, eighteen states have signed a letter of intent to strengthen the partnership. According to a European Commission pressstatement , by 2025 there will be a budget of around 100 million euros to address "future challenges in the fields of ground combat, space, air combat and energy resilience and environmental transition".

Future Combat System

As a third way of showing its commitment to NATO's air defense, Spain is participating in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program for the modernization of the Spanish Air and Space Army, developed in partnership with France and Germany. Its main goal is not only the creation of a sixth-generation fighter that will replace part of the current fleet, but also the development of a network of unmanned aerial vehicles ('remote carriers'), which will be integrated in real time through a 'combat cloud'. This system will improve the connectivity and operational efficiency of the European air forces.

The project is currently in phase 1B, where technical requirements are being defined and the first prototypes are being developed. It is expected to be fully operational in 2040. Spain, as one of the countries involved in the project, plays a key role in its development, which will enable it to acquire a better position, both operationally and industrially.

As mentioned above, in the military sphere the FCAS involves the progressive replacement of the F-18 Hornet, which will represent a significant improvement in the capabilities of the Spanish Air Force. On the industrial side the program is also helping to strengthen Spain's aerospace and defense sector, with companies like Indra, Airbus España and GMV Aerospace leading the development of core topic technologies that will not only drive technological innovation at the highest level but will also have a positive impact on employment and the competitiveness of Spain's defense sector.

Implications and disadvantages

The above highlights Spain's high Degree of involvement in European air defense, and evidences the important role it plays in the continent's air security, articulated fundamentally through its commitment to NATO and expanded by its participation in various initiatives in the EU framework . Spain's contribution to NATO IAMD, its active participation in multinational operations, and its involvement in programs such as PESCO and FCAS reinforce both transatlantic collective defense and European strategic autonomy.

The biggest challenge for Spain is to maintain the balance between the two organizations, to avoid overlapping different projects and to try to maintain a line of cooperation in which the EU, without losing its autonomy, serves to complement NATO's progress. If it achieves this goal, Spain has a great opportunity to assume a leading role in defining the future of European defense, consolidating its leading role alongside European powers such as France and Germany.