How many Eurofighters does Spain have?

Spain joined the Eurofighter program in 1985 together with Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, with an initial commitment of 87 aircraft that was reduced to 73 after the cuts of the 2008 crisis. The aircraft were delivered in three batches: 19 from Tranche 1, 34 from Tranche 2 and 20 from Tranche 3A, the last of them in 2020. All of them were assembled at the Airbus plant in Getafe, which also manufactures the right wing for every Eurofighter built by the consortium. Two aircraft were lost in accidents at Morón (2010 and 2014), leaving somewhat more than 70 in inventory, split between Wing 11 at Morón and Wing 14 at Albacete, which also houses the conversion school.

The first expansion contract, Halcón I, was signed in June 2022 for 20 aircraft (16 single-seat and 4 two-seat) to replace the Wing 46 F/A-18A+ jets in the Canary Islands. The second, Halcón II, was closed in December 2023 for 25 aircraft intended to relieve the oldest EF-18M jets. Both batches are Tranche 4, with the ECRS Mk1 electronically scanned radar and the latest mission systems, and their deliveries run through 2030. At the same time, the Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft are being updated by software and have incorporated the Meteor long-range missile.

With 118 aircraft acquired in total, Spain ranks among the largest European Typhoon operators, alongside Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. The Ministry of Defence plans to keep it on the front line at least until the 2040s, when FCAS, developed with France and Germany, should start taking over. The oldest Tranche 1 aircraft are the main candidates for early retirement, since their electronics cannot accommodate the upgrades applied to later batches.