In 1953 the United States decided to put a naval base in Rota. Now the installation looks at your future with uncertainty

When Europe spoke weeks ago of rearme There were a series of news that attest to the situation. First it was Germany through the Almighty Rheinmetall and With Volkswagen In the “helping” equation, then even Spain with a component factory in the Basque Country. In France, a Cold War Plan to “diversify” your nuclear umbrella. And if none of these proposals went ahead, Europe would always have the Naval Rota base in Spain.

Until now.

Uncertainty at a key point. The story was told this morning The Financial Times. In the quiet coastal town of Rota, to the south of Spain, the imposing presence of American destroyers breaks the idyllic postcard. This old agricultural town houses today The naval base most important in the United States in Europe, the key piece of the antimile shield that protects the continent.

It happens that something seems to have changed this part for a while. He had promised a sixth boat in 2022, but Donald Trump’s re -election has fired the alarms about an imminent American troops cutin line with its narrative that Europe must stop depending from Washington for your safety. In numbers, this “restlessness” reaches the close ones 84,000 deployed soldiers In at least 38 European bases, all inheritance of World War II, but whose continuity is now questioned.

Broken, symbol and vulnerability. Rota’s base was the fruit of A signed pact In 1953 between Dwight Eisenhower and Franco. That agreement today is a complex of strategic dimensions that includes air track, three docks and the largest weapons and fuel installation of the pentagon in Europe. Its location, near the Strait of Gibraltar, makes it a fundamental node for Project military power towards the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East.

In addition, its official status as a Spanish naval installation “Joint use” It forces the United States to coordinate certain movements with Madrid, which adds a layer of complexity to its operation. However, the FT said that for many US military, broken is considered little less than A dream destination Due to its high quality of life and a local economy deeply influenced by the base: two thirds of the city’s economic activity depend on it, and Spanish companies such as Navantia maintain millionaire contracts With the United States Navy.

The Trump factor. But as we said, the idyllic postcard seems to be living an era of uncertainty with Trump’s re -election. The contradictory signals from Washington have sown restlessness. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “hysteria” Rumors about possible cuts, Defense Secretary Pete Heghseth warned that American protection It would not be eternal.

Worry. The concern is that, before any disagreement (here the fan is broad, from commercial reprisals, European support to Ukraine or the rejection of geopolitical proposals such as the Acquisition of Greenland), Trump can decide to drastically reduce military deployment in Europe, even unilaterally. The tycoon now He has shown disdain for the historical commitments of NATO and has frequently folvado the Scarce spending in defense of its European partners, being Spain One of the most lagging.

In addition, President Pedro Sánchez has confronted Trump on various fronts, since his recent Posture about China until His sentence to the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which raises the political risk for the base of rota.

Europe without shield. If we stick to numbers, Rota base currently houses 2,800 American soldiersincluding units at sea, and its fleet of destroyers (endowed with these systems to intercept ballistic missiles) represents a mobile capacity without equivalent in Europe. Although fixed pitchers from Poland and Romania could assume part of the Antimisile shield, the European Navy lacks A real alternative to the power of US ships parked in Spain.

Hence NATO, although nominally owner of the system, depends largely on Military infrastructure of the United States for collective defense. The European strategy, for now, has consisted of gaining military independence gradually, but is still far from being able to fill the void that would leave an abrupt American replication. Again, That rearme acquires more importance.

Alternatives: Morocco. In the face of the possibility of a break, The FT had that some voices suggest that the United States could transfer part of its operations To Moroccocountry that reinforced its link with the Trump administration by normalizing relations with Israel in 2020. With less politically compromised facilities and greater diplomatic harmony, Morocco would be outlined as a possible logistical replacement for Rota.

Moreover, apparently, from The Foreign Policy Research Institute They warn that, if the Spanish government overestimates its strategic value or underestimate the level of irritation which can generate in Trump, the consequences could be immediate and deep.

Uncertain future. So things, and although for now the base It continues to expand and receiving investments, the rumors of cuts fly over the installation. The American media commented that American residents in rota try Keep calm And, meanwhile, Europe observes with restlessness a situation that transcends local geopolitics and raises an existential dilemma for the continental defense itself.

The transition to a greater self -sufficiency European defensive, now, it seems more pronounced than ever, but while that mature or becomes effective transformation, the shadow of an unexpected turn under Trump’s second presidency looms over the Cadiz coast. At stake, the key piece of the antimile shield that protects the old continent.

Image | Navy, Us Defenseimagery

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