The objective of this operational exercise is to integrate the capabilities of the Air and Space Force, the Army and the Navy into the National Air Defence System

•  The objective of this operational exercise is to integrate the capabilities of the Air and Space Force, the Army and the Navy into the National Air Defence System
  

Next Monday marks the start of the first Eagle Eye activation of the year in the south-western area of the Iberian Peninsula and in the waters of the Gulf of Cádiz. The exercise is conducted under the leadership of the Air Operational Command and under the operational control of the Operations Command. Eagle Eye will remain active until 12 February.

The main purpose of this exercise is to integrate the capabilities of the Air and Space Force, the Army and the Navy into the National Air Defence System, in order to enhance efficiency in the implementation of presence, surveillance and deterrence operations in all areas of sovereignty and national interest.

Six F-18s from Wing 12, which are deployed in Torrejón de Ardoz, will participate in a QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) mission on behalf of the Air and Space Force. During the five-day activation period, the aircraft and their crews will undergo training in air policing duties in national airspace. Alert services will also be conducted, requiring the fighters to be airborne within 15 minutes of an unidentified track being detected. Approximately 60 personnel from this Air Unit will be involved in carrying out these tasks at Torrejón Air Base in Madrid, including aircrews and military maintenance and support staff.

The Central Command and Control Group (GRUCEMAC), located at Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base, will be responsible for monitoring the airspace. To this end, it will use data provided by the various Air Surveillance Squadrons (EVA, for its acronym in Spanish), as well as data obtained by land and naval means. Due to their location, EVA 3 (Constantina, Seville), EVA 9 (Motril, Granada) and EVA 11 (Alcalá de los Gazules, Cadiz) will be directly involved in this activation.

The Air Operations Centre at Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base will be the command and control post during the execution of the activation. From this centre, tactical control of surveillance, air policing and national sovereign airspace defence operations will be ensured. In addition, the coordination and tactical control provided by the Seville Air Control Squadron will be essential to achieving the mission objectives.

Land and Naval Units and Their Air Defence Capabilities

The Army is contributing with the Air Defence Unit (ADU) II-73, which will be deployed in the areas surrounding the Rota Naval Base and Vejer de la Frontera. From its deployed positions, the unit will provide air defence, thereby complementing the comprehensive airspace surveillance. In this joint operation, the Carthago Air Defence Unit is generated on the basis of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command (MAAA) and led by Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group (GAAA) II/73 (Cartagena, Murcia). In terms of equipment, it operates HAWK, PATRIOT and MISTRAL air defence weapon systems, as well as 35/90 mm anti-aircraft guns.

In this deployment, the Air Defence Unit, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Felix Antonio Ayala Sánchez, will deploy to designated position to complement the protection of national airspace through its sensors, in addition to protecting the assigned areas with its ground-based weapon systems against any air threat. For all these task, the Air Defence Unit will be integrated into the Air Defence System.

As for the Navy, the frigate F-104 Méndez Núñez, commanded by Commander Jaime Muñoz-Delgado Pérez, will operate in the waters of the Gulf of Cádiz as part of the integrated Air Defence System. In this context, it provides air surveillance and air defence capabilities, while also complementing the coverage provided by the Air Surveillance Squadrons and the deployed Air Defence Unit.

Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the F-104 frigate can conduct a wide range of missions, from air defence to anti-submarine warfare. Its ability to integrate into joint and international operations makes it a valuable asset for national defence. The Méndez Núñez is fitted with advanced radar and missile systems that can detect and neutralise long-range threats, significantly enhancing airspace protection.