Although its a bit far in the future, Spain is participating in the French/German FCAS, isn't it?
Yes, Spain participate on FCAS (33%). First large investment around 531 million euros (from 2,5 Billion already allocated by Spain, more to come) was made on FY2023.
Spain's two main parties are both supporters of the FCAS. None of them would even suggest abandoning it, that would only happen if the FCAS were to flop because of French or German decisions.
Spain has just about as much interest in it's military as Portugal does. I don't see them actually placing an order and wouldn't surprise me if they either left the program at some point, got kicked because they stopped paying their share, or are only in it as an investment to make some money on later down the line.
Not Spain, our current government... Thats not the same.
At the moment a coalition of socialists and communists supported by the separatist, far leftist, and even pro-terrorist parties. And until very recently a personal opinion of our Prime Minister (Pedro Sánchez), who once said about the Defence Budget: ‘It is a waste for Spain’.
But you know, the world changes.... And voters' priorities with that.
Spain will increase defence spending, most of it outside congressional oversight (
Sánchez dixit), to avoid problems with the ruling coalition and its supporters. Their schizoid budgetary reality (the last General State Budget approved by Congress was for FY2022) forces them to make heavy investments outside the ordinary defence budget.
Just to give an account of some flying things in the pipeline or already contracted by Spain at the moment:
On production or with contracts already signed:
· 45 Eurofighter Tranche 4 (Halcon I [20] & II [25] Programs)
· 16 Airbus C-295W (8 MPA & 8 MSA config)
· 16 Pilatus PC-21 (to be added to the 24 already in service).
- 3 A400M (Of the 27 originally contracted (all paid), only 14 were to enter service to reduce costs, but three more were greenlighted in 2023. Maybe not the last).
- 3 A330 MRTT (Aircraft already purchased from Iberia and incorporated into the Air Force as transports, one already in the process of conversion to MRTT by Airbus).
· 23 NH-90s (10 TTH for Army, 6 TTH for Air Force, 7 MSPT for Navy. To be added to the 22 NHs already in service) - NH90 Phase II Programme.
· 2 SH-60F (Ex-US Navy refurbished from AMARG, the last pair remaining of the eight F contracted by Spain).
· 8 SH-60R for Navy.
· 1 Chinook F (Additional helo contracted in 2022 with arrival estimated in 2026, to the seventeen Chinook F already bought and received from US contractor by the Spanish Army)
In addition, the MLU for the existing Spanish Eurofighter fleet is already contracted under the Halcon II programme.
Still on planning phase:
~40 New multirole fighters (F-35 and/or EFA T4) - Halcon III Programme to replace the last EF-18 and AV-8B+.
~24 New jet trainers (TAI Hurjet is government favorite).
~7/12 New light business jets (PC-24 and/or G-650 to replace ageing Air Force Falcons and Beechcrafts, and Navy Citations).
~20/40 New NH-90s (Phase III of the programme, the final fleet objective originally was 104, there are low probabilities to reach that).
~Undetermined number of H145M & H160 to complement Tigers and NH90s. No details about the procurement times or ammounts yet but Airbus and the Spanish Government already
anounced that is in the pipeline...
So a little bit of difference with Portugal scenario I think...
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