Morón Air Base

Construction on the Vázquez Sagastizábal Military Aerodrome, as Morón Air Base was initially known, began in 1940. The following year it began to function as a military airfield and was utilised to train fighter pilots for the Spanish Army Air Force.

In 1953, the Spanish and American governments finalized agreements to establish a number of Spanish-American air bases, including Morón Air Base. Morón was one of three major United States Air Force (USAF) Cold War airbases in Spain, the others being Zaragoza Air Base near Zaragoza and Torrejón Air Base near Madrid. Construction efforts began in 1953 under the direction of the United States Navy, taking over 3 years to complete.

On May 13, 1958, the first flight of Boeing B-47 Stratojets were assigned to Morón Air Base to conduct Reflex operations and then Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters arrived to conduct strip alert tanker missions, and six weeks later the first rotational fighter squadron, the 1st Fighter-Day Squadron, flying North American F-100 Super Sabres and commanded by Lt. Col. Chuck Yeager, arrived from George Air Force Base, CA, for temporary duty to conduct air defence alert.

Morón continued to operate primarily as a Reflex base until 1962, when the first Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft arrived. In 1966, the base was transferred from Strategic Air Command (SAC) to United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE). The mission changed to communications support, temporary duty (TDY) "fair weather" flying operations for McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom IIs from RAF Alconbury, and McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo from RAF Upper Heyford, United Kingdom and the support of air rescue operations provided by the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.

In 1971, Morón Air Base was designated to a "modified caretaker status", and Torrejón Air Base was designated as the Primary Support Base (PSB) for the Spanish Air Force. A small Spanish Air Force contingent of F-5 Freedom Fighters used the air base during the 1980s. Most of its buildings were empty and on-base services were severely limited.

In November 1983, during the joint Spanish-American military exercise CRISEX 83, U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bombers were allowed to enter Spanish air space and use Morón Air Base for the first time since being banned after the 1966 Palomares B-52 crash on January 17, 1966, near Palomares.[1]

In 1984, Morón became a NASA Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) site. Special navigation and landing aids were installed, and Spanish personnel were trained to recover the Space Shuttle orbiter after an emergency landing—one that never came. In addition during the 1980 and 1990s, U.S. Air Force airmen deployed to Morón during Shuttle launching periods to help provide onsite weather reporting as well as crash/rescue capability.

U.S. Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response and Airmen with the 496th Air Base Squadron participate in a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at Morón Air Base, Spain, Sept. 11, 2013.

In 1990, Strategic Air Command deployed 22 KC-135 and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender tankers to provide aerial refueling for Operation Desert Shield and changed Morón Air Base's U.S. function from refueling to bomber operations. The 801st Bomb Wing (Provisional) at Morón Air Base consisted of 24 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 3 KC-135s and over 2,800 personnel. This was the largest deployed bomber wing during the war.

In 1991, the basing plan for Spain called for retaining Morón AB, along with Torrejón Air Base, and Naval Station Rota, but on a drastically reduced scale. In 1995, the 496th Air Base Squadron (496th ABS) was activated to replace the 712th Air Base Flight, and USAFE redesignated Morón as a limited-use base, defined as austerely manned with no permanently assigned operational tactical forces, although it was used as a staging base to support deployments.

Moron was used heavily during the Gulf War by B-52s and tankers, and also during Operation Restore Hope and Operation Allied Force. From 1995 to 1997, Morón was a popular staging area to host Coronet East movements to and from Turkey and Southwest Asia with over 95 fighter and tanker missions. In 1996, the 496th was placed under the 31st Support Group of Aviano Air Base, Italy.

In 1999, Morón became the home of the 92nd Air Expeditionary Wing – tasked with providing fuel to Operation Allied Force of the Kosovo War. In addition to serving as the HQ 92 AEW (serving units in France, Crete, Sicily and Spain), Morón hosted 37 tankers (KC-135 and KC-10) and 800 personnel. The 92 AEW became the largest Tanker Wing since the Vietnam War and held the distinction of being the largest tanker base during the Kosovo war.

C-17s at Morón AB during Operation Enduring Freedom

In 2001, the base provided record numbers of airlift and fighter rotations for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In 2003, these operations increased as Morón became key for airlift and fighter deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2004, the 496th ABS started reporting to the 712th Air Base Group and was realigned under the 38th Combat Support Wing of Ramstein Air Base, Germany later that year. In 2007, the 712th ABG inactivated and the 496th ABS was realigned again under the 86th Operations Group of Ramstein Air Base. In April 2019 the 496th ABS was realigned again under the 65th Air Base Group creating the Atlantic Air Bridge.[2]

In 2011, the base once again proved its strategic importance as it served as the main tanker base for tanker aircraft supporting Operation Unified Protector in operations over Libya. The 313th Air Expeditionary Wing ("Calico Wing") and 406th Air Expeditionary Wing were activated to manage these operations. In 2013, Marine Corps temporarily based 550 Marines as part of a rapid reaction force in Morón, Spain in support of U.S. Africa Command. This unit was outfitted with Bell Boeing MV-22B Ospreys and Lockheed Martin KC-130J aerial refueling / cargo aircraft. An advance element from this unit moved to Naval Air Station Sigonella in May.[3][4]

Morón's massive flight line, in-ground aircraft refueling system, long runway and prime location on the Iberian peninsula, close to the Mediterranean and the Middle East, means the base is an important link in any operation moving east from the United States.[5]

US Marines KC-130 refueling AV-8 Harrier of the Spanish Navy near Morón Air Base

In May 2015 the Spanish government approved an agreement granting the U.S. military a permanent presence on the base. Under the agreement, up to 3,000 American troops and civilians of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Africa can be stationed there, while the number of aircraft can be increased to 40, up from the previous limit of 14.[6]

At present the base hosts:

• Wing (Ala) 11 of the Spanish Air and Space Force, which is equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon;[7]
• El 2.º Escuadrón de Apoyo al Despliegue Aéreo (SEADA);
• Permanent Detachment of Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera, which operate Ala 37;
• El 2.º Emergency Intervention Battalion of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME- BIEM II);
• 496th Air Base Squadron, USAF

A detachment of the 18th Space Surveillance Squadron (USAF) was also previously located at the base.

Combat Air Command

• 11th Wing
  • Group 11
    • 111th Squadron – c.16 Typhoon
    • 112th Squadron – c.16 Typhoon
    • 113th Squadron – c.16 Typhoon[10]
• Second Air Deployment Support Squadron II (SEADA)
  • Ground Defense and Combat Search and Rescue Company
  • Transport Company
  • General Support Company

• Emergency Intervention Battalion II

US Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA)

• Third Air Force
  • 86th Airlift Wing
    • 65th Air Base Group
      • 496th Air Base Squadron