What can the United States do at the Rota base?
The agreement signed with Spain establishes that the North American country can operate without authorization as long as the objectives are "of a bilateral or multilateral scope"
BarcelonaA U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III landed Wednesday afternoon at the Rota military base and departed a few hours later for Sicily. The route of this military transport aircraft You can check it on the flightradar24 website This has sparked controversy, given that the Spanish government has vetoed the use of American military bases for any operation related to the Iran-Contra conflict. What control does Spain have over what happens at the Rota naval base and the Morón air base? What can the United States do there?
The Ministry of Defense has not clarified the destination of this Boeing or others that have flown similar routes in recent days and adheres to the terms of the agreement signed by the United States and Spain in 1988 (an update of what was signed during the Franco regime). Specifically, the Spanish government refers to Article 2, which states that the United States can use these facilities as long as it is for "objectives within the bilateral or multilateral sphere." Outside of these purposes, it requires "the prior authorization of the Spanish government." In the current situation, therefore, the US government must request permission from the Spanish authorities to use the bases.
"The bases are not and will not be used for anything outside the agreement and the UN Charter," Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares emphasized, stressing that the offensive against Iran is not covered by international treaties. In a conversation with ARA, Jordi Calvo, a researcher at the Centre Delàs, argues that the agreement supports Sánchez's interpretation because "it is framed within the logic of a defense cooperation agreement with specific shared objectives." The Moncloa Palace has preemptively denied "the functions of supplying and preparing aircraft, etc., for attacks in the armed conflict," the researcher points out. However, Calvo also admits that Trump has decided not to force the situation because "he doesn't need to": "They have so many military bases that the Spanish ones can be dispensed with." On paper, the US "couldn't even fill the fuel tanks of military aircraft, those that drop bombs, and those that refuel in flight."
However, if it were truly necessary, the researcher wonders what would happen, and concludes that the US administration could choose "not to inform" and the Spanish government to "not ask" proactively. "There's no way Spain can monitor all the movements at the US base," he emphasizes. For Calvo, it would be time to open another debate: the closure of the bases established during the Cold War to "maintain hegemony and force compliance with US wishes."
For his part, the president of the Society for Military Studies, Pol Molas, acknowledges that the Spanish government's political position has a clear symbolic opposition to the US strategy, but its effect on the bases is limited. "It could limit the actions of tanker aircraft," he explains, referring to aerial refueling operations, but he downplays the obstacles Spain could create. "American planes can claim they're not heading to the Middle East, but to other bases," regardless of where they ultimately land. "Spanish military police won't intervene on the runways."
The US could also choose to "send the planes out from Italy," precisely where the Boeing from Rota arrived this morning, or from Morocco, the UK, or Germany. The Moroccan case is key, Molas notes, because the plan to establish a joint base there "weakens Spain's position," for example, in the conflict over the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla. Molas also points out that "landing a tanker at a Moroccan airport wouldn't be difficult either," beyond the military bases already in the country.
The strategic location of the Rota and Morón bases
The Rota and Morón air bases, located in Andalusia, are facilities situated midway between the United States and the Middle East. According to the agreement approved in 1988, the Americans do not have to request authorization from the Spanish government for their aircraft to stop there to refuel—or refuel in the air—to conduct technical inspections, or to use Spanish airspace for training exercises. Although the agreement emphasizes that the sovereignty of the base belongs to Spain, the use of these facilities is left in the hands of "a commander of the United States forces," who will exercise "command and control" over the equipment, materials, and premises used.
The 1988 agreement stems from the one signed in 1953 under the Franco regime and allows the United States to have access to a "strategic space." The president of the Society for Military Studies, Pol Molas, points out that Spain is important as a "link between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean" and also for command in Africa and the Near East. Being an intermediate point is crucial given the short range of fighter jets.
