bases Archives - Page 2 of 2

If the question is whether Spain can deny its bases to give air support to Israel, the answer is not so simple

June 19, 2025 by usatoday24

And suddenly, Spain. Actually, and as we will see, the country’s geographical situation makes it a kind of “technical stop” for the different military conflicts in which the United States has been. The war that is taking place In the East It is another chapter, but with the exception that, quite possibly, Spain will not enter. What raises a logical question: could it refuse to use its air bases? Reinforcements from Spain. First the news. Within the framework of the growing military escalation between Israel and Iran, the United States has discreetly intensified its deployment in the Middle East with the help of key infrastructure in Europe, including Bases in Spanish territory. It is official, since the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, confirmed that Washington has begun to use the Rota bases (Cádiz) and Morón de la Frontera (Seville) To park cistern airplanes, a measure framed in the bilateral agreements in force between the two countries. Robles said that the presence of these aerial means is carried out within the limits established by the joint defense treaties. Specifically, the agreement allows the deployment of up to 15 replenishment aircraft in Morón, although international media Like BBC They have reported the arrival of “something else”: at least 30 KC-135 aircraft In recent days, distributed between Spain, England and Scotland. Logistic support for fighters. We have come counting these days. The role of these cistern aircraft It is strategic: They allow to expand the operational scope of combat aircraft such as the F-16, F-22 and F-35 that the Pentagon has mobilized towards the Persian Gulf region. According to Reutersthis aerial reinforcement would also include the deployment of a USE USERindicating a projective combat capacity in several dimensions. Although the Secretary of State for Defense, Pete Hegseth, has insisted that it is a deployment for purposes andStrictly defensiveUS military sources have confirmed that these platforms have already been used to Interception operationsdemolishing drones and missiles launched by Iran in response to the Israeli attacks initiated the previous Friday. Reactions in Spain. No doubt, the use of Spanish military facilities by the United States It has generated restlessness within the Spanish parliamentary arch itself. Podemos has presented a Question battery In Congress to demand explanations to the Executive on the arrival, last Friday, of the cistern aircraft to the base of Morón. In their brief, they express suspicions that these facilities are being used as a logistics scale in support of military operations in favor of Israel. The party led by Ione Belarra has also questioned the government about itself I was aware Of these movements and if it supervises its purpose, putting on the table the debate on operational sovereignty and indirect involvement of Spain in an international conflict of high intensity. A Eurofighter Typhoon from Ala 11 in Morón in 2015 Legal and preceding basis. The current use of the military bases of Rota and Morón by the United States is part of a strategic relationship Started in 1953when Spain, even under the Franco dictatorship, signed the calls Madrid agreements. In exchange for financial and military aid, the installation of US bases in Spanish territory was authorized, in what was a shy international opening step. This initial network It included the bases from Zaragoza, Torrejón de Ardoz, Morón de la Frontera and broken, and constituted one of the First gestures from Spain to aspire to NATO entersomething that would not be completed until 1982 with the firm, and until 1999 with full accession to the integrated military structure of the alliance. The agreed of 88. The current legal basis that regulates the shared use of Rota and Morón It was established With the Defense Cooperation Agreement Signed on December 1, 1988 Among the governments of Felipe González and Ronald Reagan, he was finally the final of the Cold War. This text has been amended Three occasions (In 2002, 2012 and 2015) to adapt to geostrategic and operational changes. According to the Ministry of Defense, the second amendment protocol set a period of validity eight years old since its entry into force (May 21, 2013), which made it expired on May 22, 2021. However, article 69 of the agreement provides for a Annual automatic extension If none of the parties expresses its opposite will six months in advance, which has been happening until today, with Some exceptions. Rattan Operational limitations. Although US jurisdiction governs certain aspects within the perimeter of the bases, Spain retains sovereignty and political control over its strategic use. In fact, the United States cannot use the facilities unilaterally, but requires express permission from the Spanish government, as stipulated The agreement. This principle has been maintained, although in practice it has not meant obstacles during, For examplethe wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, when the governments of José María Aznar and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero authorized their use No restrictions. Similarly, in 2021 Spain allowed both bases to temporarily welcome Afghan collaborators of the United States during his escape from Kabul. Military presence. According to the agreementUnited States can keep up to 2,200 military, 36 aircraft and 500 civilians in Morón, although the current contingent is around 600 troops. In rota, the allowed limit amounts to 4,250 military and 1,000 US civilians. These figures reflect a gradual reduction compared to previous decades, and in 2023 The transfer of the rapid response force for Africa was confirmed from Morón to A base in Italyevidencing an operational replication that directly affects the employment and economy of the nearby areas, which receive about two million euros per year in direct income of the State. Real veto capacity. Therefore, to the big question, could Spain deny the use of its air bases to the United States with respect to the Israel-Iran conflict? The short answer is that yes, in fact, There are examplesas with the return of Torrejón in 1991 and Zaragoza in 1992. Plus: In 1986, the government of Felipe González advertisement that would not automatically renew the pact, also demanding The withdrawal … Read more

A single island houses 70% of the US military bases in Japan. There is a weight reason for not to come out: China

February 22, 2025 by usatoday24

At the end of January, in the Japan islands closest to Taiwan, Many places began to evacuate the area. The action was part of a series of drills that have been intensified in the last two years preparing for “the worst”, understanding this as An armed conflict between China and Taiwan. In fact, the most important island of Okinawa prefecture has a fact that attests to tension in the area: there is no other place in Japan with such a number of soldiers in the United States, and they have been there since World War II. Okinawa: trapped between two powers. For more than a century, Okinawa has been a territory in disputemarked by the conflict between Japan, the United States and China. Its history, which goes from being an independent kingdom to become a battlefield and military baseit reflects the weight of geopolitical decisions about the lives of its inhabitants. The island was originally The kingdom of Ryukyuan independent state that maintained tax relations with both Imperial China and with the Japanese domain of Satsuma. However, in the 1870s, Japan attached the archipelagoestablishing its control over the island. During World War II, Okinawa was the stage of One of the bloodiest battlesused as a shield to prevent US troops from reaching the main islands of Japan. After the war, instead of being returned to Japanese sovereignty, Okinawa was under control of the United Statesbecoming a military strategic point. Already in 1972, after 27 years of American occupation, The island was finally returned to Japan. However, the US military presence never disappeared. In fact, Okinawa houses 70 % of US military bases in Japandespite representing only 0.6 % of the national territory. It is estimated that there are 80,000 Americans on the island, of which 30,000 are uniformed military. The “slow” withdrawn. This week had the New York Times that the departure of those thousands of American marines has already begun, more or less, although With a delay of more than 20 years Regarding the original calendar. Before Christmas, a 105 Marines contingent that would normally have been sent to the island He was redirected to the new Camp Blaz base in Guam. This small movement marked the first trimming of military personnel in Okinawa within the agreement between Washington and Tokyo to reduce that US military presence on the island that goes back to World War II. According to the pact, 9,000 marines (almost half of the troops on the island) should be relocated at some point. However, due to the construction of replacement bases, its exit could take more than a decade to complete. United States maneuvers on the island A discontent agreement. Negotiation for the reduction of military presence It began in 1995when the case of three American soldiers who raped an okinawense girl caused massive protests on the island. This led to the United States and Japan They will agree to relieve the military load on Okinawa. As? In essence, by closing The Fuutema Air Base and the construction of a new installation in the north of the island. The first plan, signed in 1996, established a period of five to seven years for relocation, but almost three decades of that agreement, the original base remains operational and the new landing track is still 12 years after being completed. Geopolitics: the brake on the reduction. In any case, the delay in the withdrawal of US troops is due, in large part, to the growing military presence of China in the region. Recently and As we countthe Japan Ministry of Defense reported that Four Chinese warships sailed between Okinawa and a nearby islandincreasing concern in Tokyo and Washington about security in the Western Pacific. The rise of China, together with the threat of North Korea and tensions in Taiwan, has changed strategic dynamics. In fact, the times told that many in Tokyo and Washington wonder If they should really reduce the presence of marines in Okinawaespecially when the island is within the range of Chinese missiles and would be a key point in any conflict in the region. China’s hat. Although historically Okinawa maintained commercial relations with China, Beijing’s current influence on the region is seen with concern for many Japanese. The tensions between China and Japan by the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands They have fueled the fear that Okinawa can become a conflict point Between both countries. An uncertain future. For all this, and despite international pressure, the transfer of the Marines progress to slow pacealmost testimonial. Japan, meanwhile, has chosen to keep the status quoinvesting in the modernization of existing bases instead of accelerating relocation. In this regard, Camp Schwab, in the north of the island, will be the new home of the Marines relocated from Fuhenma. The construction includes an area of land five times greater than the pentagon to house landing clues and hangars. It does not seem, therefore, that you think too much about an exit. For its part, Camp Fosterin the southern part of Okinawa, it is being remodeled with new barracks, schools and homes, consolidating the military presence in that area. Japan spends According to the New York Times1.5 billion dollars a year in the construction of new facilities, in addition to the 2.8 billion dollars already allocated to Camp Blaz base in Guamwhich, as we said, will house a part of the displaced marines of Okinawa. Yet, Pentagon still does not provide a clear calendar For relocation. And here we return to the exit box: in case of conflict in Asia, LTo Guam’s remoteness could represent a strategic problemsince the Marines would have to return to Japan crossing a combat zone. Thus, what is clear is that the island remains a key piece on the Indo-Pacific board, trapped between the strategic needs of the United States and Japan, and the own aspirations of autonomy of its population. Image | US Indo-Pacifi In Xataka | The Japan islands closest to Taiwan have begun to evacuate the area. They have been preparing … Read more

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections