Spanish stingers

Ejército del Aire Hornets

Spain’s Ejército del Aire operates a well-balanced fighter force of EF-18M/ F/A-18A+ Hornets and Eurofighter Typhoons. Salvador Mafé Huertas assesses the Spanish Hornet fleet, active within three frontline wings.

A pair of Ala 15 EF-18M single-seaters heads towards RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, for the 2017 Royal International Air Tattoo. The jets are C.15-39 ‘15-26’ and, nearest the camera, C.15-14 ‘15-01’ sporting special markings applied for the 2016 NATO Tiger Meet at Zaragoza.
Rich Cooper
James Lawrence

The Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) received a total of 86 EF-18 and F/A-18 Hornets. The first 72 EF-18A/Bs acquired from 1986 to 1992 under the Futuro Avión de Combate (FACA) programme were followed by 24 secondhand (ex-US Navy and Marine Corps) F/A- 18As during 1995-2000 as part of the CX programme that initially set out to replace the F/RF-5A Freedom Fighters of Ala 21.

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