Spain vetoed Israel’s passage from the US. Spain will send its best fleet to the US to celebrate its independence

Next year the United States will commemorate the 250th anniversary of its independence and will do so with a series of phases of enormous international projection in which the Spanish Navy will have A leading role. It is still contradictory as Spain as has vetoed the step of US fighters and warships to Israel.

An unprecedented deployment. As we said, despite the fact that diplomatic and political relations between the Government of Pedro Sánchez and the administration of Donald Trump are going through more than notable tensions, especially around defense expense wave Palestine questionthe Navy has decided to get involved in the acts.

As? Under the umbrella of the Dedalo Expeditionary Group, Spain will send New York to the Portaeronaves Juan Carlos iescorted by frigates and a combat supply ship, along with the ship-school Juan Sebastián Elcano. The operation will represent The biggest deployment of Spanish Naval Force in American waters in decades, a gesture that underlines that military cooperation remains solid beyond political friction.

New York as a stage. The week of July 1 to 9 will become the epicenter of the acts on the occasion of the Independence Day. On July 4, the expeditionary group will participate in a naval magazine organized by the US Navy, while Juan Sebastián Elcano will parade through the East River in the company of the most emblematic sailboats-schools in the world, such as the Amerigo Vespucci Italian, the Swan Branco Brazilian or the Gorch Fock German.

In addition, the calendar includes diplomatic receptions, such as the organized on board the transatlantic Queen Mary 2and a great fireworks show. The official motto of the US Navy, “For Navy and Nation!“, seeks to underline the historical role of the US Navy as guarantor of global maritime security for 250 years, reinforcing the international character of the appointment.

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Diplomacy for naval channels. While the American administration has constituted a specific commission, THE TASK FORCE 250to organize its celebrations, in Spain the proposal to create an interministerial commission It has been diluted for lack of consensus between exteriors, defense and culture.

However, the Navy has assumed leadership of the Spanish representation, aware that anniversary is a diplomatic opportunity to remember the Decisive paper from Spain in the independence of the United States. Even King Felipe VI, in a speech in New York, recently stressed the historical importance of that link. Thus, through its presence in North American waters, the Spanish Navy tries to alleviate (or compensate) Government disinterest with a visible gesture and loaded with symbolism.

LHD JUAN CARLOS I IN MALAGA
LHD JUAN CARLOS I IN MALAGA

Juan Carlos I

The symbol: Juan Carlos I. The flagship of the Navy, the Juan Carlos I holder, has spent the last months in Navantia subjected to A deep modernization of its propulsion system, which forced to readjust the maneuver calendar to ensure its presence in the 2026 appointment.

This will also be an opportunity to show the potential of the Spanish embarked aviation, still dependent on the Harrier fighters whose useful life tries to prolong beyond 2028 through the acquisition of spare parts of the American and Italian fleets. Government resistance To acquire the F-35 As a natural substitute and uncertainty Around the future European hunting FCAS, not available before 2042, give this deployment an air of technological and strategic claim.

Between passivity and politics. The difference in approaches is evident. While Washington Ha launched the task force 250 With an ambitious program of activities, a communication campaign and a clear strategy to reinforce the national narrative, in Spain the attempt to coordinate an interministerial group has encountered With political divisions And finally it has been abandoned.

The consequence, as we said, is that the weight of representation falls almost exclusively in the armadA, what a paradox reveals: the government opts for Punta from Punta For a historical anniversary that could have served to project the image of Spain, while the Navy acts as the main guarantor of the bilateral relationship in a field as sensitive as that of the defense.

The Israeli paradox. We commented at the beginning. The deployment of the Navy in New York also coexists with another contradiction in Spanish politics. While the Executive has prohibited that American fighters or ships loaded with weapons to Israel cross territory or national waters in the framework of the Gaza War, the Spanish Navy will send Your best units to celebrate the American anniversary.

The decision reflects the complex balance that Madrid seeks: Mark distance in very sensitive foreign policy issues for its electorate and, at the same time, maintain the solidity of the military relationship with the United States, an indispensable ally in NATO and last guarantor of Atlantic security.

Military cooperation. Plus: Spanish participation will not be limited to the acts of July. In October, in Philadelphia, the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Antonio Piñeiro, will be present with delegations of more than 70 countries in the central acts of the 250 Anniversary of the US Navy. A presence that emphasizes again that, beyond the political divergences in international or budgetary matters, the bilateral relationship in defense remains fundamental.

In fact, Spain houses in Rota and Morón apart from the American military device, as demonstrated by the recent Hammer operation against Iran, and maintains mutual interest in industrial matters, with an eye on the Navantia constructive capacity to supply naval production deficiencies in a context marked by strength Chinese navy.

Spain and its projection. If you also want, the conjunction of the American anniversary with worldwide events, such as the 2026 World Cup, converts this event into A diplomatic showcase first order. The deployment of the Navy not only reinforces the image of Spain as a reliable ally in NATO’s bosom, but also Allows projecting The national maritime tradition through the presence of Juan Sebastián Elcano, Cultural Ambassador and symbol of historical continuity.

Together, the effort represents the will of the Navy to maintain the strategic relationship with the United States in the military field, reaffirming that, even in times of political disagreementnaval cooperation remains a pillar of the bilateral relationship.

Image | Navy, Javicaselli

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