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Defense spending has been one of the points of friction in the coexistence in the Government between the PSOE and Unidas Podemos. But the Socialists show that they turn a deaf ear to the proposals of the purples and that increasing investment in security is one of their priorities. This has been demonstrated in the last two Councils of Ministers held, where investment in programs for the modernization of the Armed Forces has been accelerated. Specifically, the April 18 cabinet approved an investment of almost 5,000 million, plus another 3,000 million at the April 11 meeting for the EF-2000, the NH-90 helicopter or the 8x8 wheeled combat vehicles (VCR), among others.

"In terms of Defense, and as in all partner and allied countries, Spain is consolidating a stable financing framework to provide the Armed Forces with the necessary capabilities to efficiently develop their missions and operations, both permanent and those deployed abroad, as well as missions that are considered necessary to preserve the security and well-being of Spanish society against serious risks, catastrophe, calamity or other public necessities." The annual National Security Report, corresponding to the year 2022, and which has just been made public, justifies in this way the economic acceleration that the Spanish Executive, despite the reluctance of Unidas Podemos, is deploying.

This commitment to invest in weapons by Spain coincides in time with the knowledge that the US has approved the sale to Morocco of missile launchers similar to those it has delivered to Ukraine. It will supply 18 HIMARS missile launcher systems and 112 surface-to-surface missiles of three different models, with a range of between 82 and 305 kilometers.

The movements of the neighboring country do not go unnoticed in Spain. "Morocco and Algeria remain immersed in a tense 'security dilemma,' with the issue of Western Sahara looming againstthe backdrop," the National Security report observes.

2% of GDP

The increase in defense spending is one of the commitments that NATO demanded from Spain at the NATO summit held in Madrid and a commitment that Pedro Sánchez acquired. This is stated in the National Security report: "Russian aggression has provoked a reaction of cohesion and firmness between the partners and allies of the European Union and NATO, which has included the imposition of sanctions and commitments to increase defense spending. In the case of Spain, the government has committed to reaching 2% of GDP in the defense budget by 2029.

That purpose of increasing spending has a clear example in this month of April. On the 11th, an agreement was approved authorizing the modification of the spending limits and the number of annuities to acquire expenditure commitments charged to future years, in order to enable the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism to meet the financing of the HALCÓN programs -the acquisition of 20 state-of-the-art Eurofighter aircraft to replace the F-18 fleet- and the modernization, evolution and logistical support of the EF-2000 aircraft (III).

The aforementioned agreement established that, in order to meet the financial needs of the projects, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism is required to partially pre-finance the HALCÓN program, between 2022 and 2027, for a total amount of 1,397,664,000 euros and the EF-2000 program (III), between 2023 and 2026 for a total amount of 1,750,000,000 euros.

Agreement with Industry

Since 1996, the Ministry of Industry has had a collaboration agreement with Defence for special weapons programmes. Based on it, Industry since 1997 has pre-financed various special weapons programs.

An even greater investment commitment was agreed at last week's meeting, on the 18th. Specifically, it was approved to modify the limits established in article 47 of Law 47/2003, of November 26, General Budget, to acquire expenditure commitments charged to future years, in order to enable Defense to reprogram seven Special Programs for the Modernization of the Armed Forces.

Namely, the Pizarro Program (16,355,000 euros) for tracked combat vehicles; the NH-90 Programme (€39,800,000), which consists of the refurbishment of medium-sized tactical transport helicopters; the VCR 8X8 Program (420,000,000 euros), of combat vehicles on wheels; new programs for the MH60-R Helicopter (820,515,490.36 euros), for chain support vehicles (1,970,000,000 euros), the acquisition of two Coastal Hydrographic Vessels (162,754,754.26 euros) and a New Program of High Performance Tactical Remotely Manned Aerial Systems (500,000,000 euros).

To all this we must add another 742 million also approved on the 18th, for the modernization and acquisition of new programs such as the Joint Electronic Warfare Program Santiago; the SIMFAC air support simulator or the MISTRAL system, a lightweight short-range missile system, among other initiatives.

  • Ministry of Defence
  • United We Can
  • NATO
  • GDP
  • Pedro Sanchez
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  • Morocco
  • Algeria

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