There was a time when Spain decided that it did not need the large aircraft carriers of the superpowers to have combat aviation at sea. So he opted for a bold solutionalmost experimental, that fit its geography, its naval ambition and its resources, and that would end up becoming a sign of identity for decades. Since then, that unique aircraft has been linked to the Navy in such a profound way that it is difficult to understand its history separately.
And now you are faced with a dilemma.
Pioneer in stoppage time. Yes, for approximately half a century, the Spanish Navy built a singular identity in Europe by operating fixed-wing fighters from the sea without the need for large aircraft carriers, relying on the Harrier as a central tool of deterrence, projection and expeditionary support.
That strategic advantage, which made Spain an international reference since the seventies and allowed it to operate in real scenarios like the Balkansnow comes to a critical point: the aircraft that made it possible enters its final phase of useful life just when the rest of the operators leave the platform and the technological and doctrinal environment of naval air combat has completely changed.
The isolation of the Spanish Harrier. To understand it, two facts are fundamental: the imminent withdrawal of the AV-8B Harrier of the United States Marine Corps and the italian transition towards the F-35B, movements that leave Spain on track to become the last world operator of the model.
This scenario is not only symbolic, but deeply practical: it means being left alone with a logistics chain that is shutting down, with production stopped for more than two decades and with a growing dependence on one-off agreements, cannibalization of cells and increasingly scarce spare parts.
Extra ball. Although the Navy hopes to extend operations until 2032 through agreements with the United States and management extremely careful of the fleet, the truth is that with each passing year reduces safety marginsincreases risks and increases the cost of a capacity that no longer has a medium-term future.
Harrier of the Spanish Navy
The technological abyss in front of the network. Beyond sustainment, the dilemma is operational. Of course, the Harrier is still a valid aircraft for certain missions, but it belongs to another era of air combatone where information was concentrated in the cockpit and survival depended largely on the pilot and limited sensors.
In front of him we have to talk again about an “old acquaintance”, because the F-35B represents a qualitative leap that does not allow comparisons gradual: it is not just a fighter, but an intelligence node capable of detecting, merging and distributing information in real time to ships, aircraft and allies. For a ship like the Juan Carlos Ithis difference marks the border between conditioning the adversary or limiting oneself to reacting with increasingly exposed means. The problem, in this case, is already we have commented: Spain, a priori, does not seem willing to do so.
FCAS and the lack of enthusiasm. Also it we count last week. The FCAS program often appears in the debate as a lifeline industrial and European politics, but it does not solve the problem embarked Spanish not even in its most optimistic scenarios.
If we ignore that at this moment the project is more outside than insideit is a system designed for air superiority from land bases, without STOVL design nor compatibility with ships like the Juan Carlos I. In fact, turning it into a naval solution would require building a conventional aircraft carrier, redesign doctrines, assume colossal investments and wait decades. In real terms, FCAS does not replace the Harrier or avoid the vacuum that will open if decisions are not made in the short term.
The F-35B and realism. In 2026, the F-35B is not a perfect or cheap option, but it does aim to be the only existing platform capable of directly replacing the Harrier and keeping the Spanish embarked fixed wing alive. With more than a thousand operational units and a growing community of naval operators, it offers continuity, interoperability and a military relevance that the Harrier can no longer guarantee alone.
From that prism and although Spain it doesn’t seem For the work, giving up this fighter does not mean saving so much as accepting a decade or perhaps more without an embarked combat aircraft, which in the long run could degrade the Juan Carlos I to a helicopter and drone ship with limited capabilities in the face of an increasingly disputed environment. Maybe not, but that idea flies over if there is no replacement for the Harrier.
A strategic dilemma. Thus, the underlying or “nuclear” problem is not choosing between airplanes, but rather deciding What role do you want to play? Spain in the naval and expeditionary field. Keeping the Harriers to the limit without a clear relief leads to a loss of capacity hardly reversible, while recovering that aptitude in the future would require much higher costs and efforts.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, partners are moving forward, and the Navy is faced with a decision that will define its relevance operational for decades: that of continuing to be an actor with an embarked fixed wing or accepting, through inaction, the silent end of one of its most emblematic capabilities.
Image | sagesolar, David Fierro Iglesias
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