Morón Air Base

Morón Air Base, also known as Base Aérea de Morón, is a military airfield located near Morón de la Frontera and Arahal in Seville, Spain. Construction of the base, initially named Vázquez Sagastizábal Military Aerodrome, began in 1940, and it became operational in 1941, serving as a training site for Spanish Army Air Force fighter pilots. In 1953, agreements between the Spanish and American governments led to its establishment as a United States Air Force (USAF) Cold War airbase, alongside Zaragoza and Torrejón. The base is owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated jointly by the Spanish Air and Space Force and the United States Air Force, though it remains under Spanish command.

Throughout its history, Morón Air Base has supported various operations. From 1958, it hosted Boeing B-47 Stratojets and KC-97 Stratofreighters for Reflex and tanker missions, and later, KC-135 Stratotankers. It served as a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) site for NASA Space Shuttles in 1984. During the Gulf War in 1990, it became a significant deployment base for 24 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers and tankers, supporting Operation Desert Shield. It also played a role in Operation Restore Hope, Operation Allied Force, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Currently, the base is home to Ala 11 (11th Wing) of the Spanish Air and Space Force, which operates Eurofighter Typhoons. Other Spanish units include the 2.º Escuadrón de Apoyo al Despliegue Aéreo (SEADA), a permanent detachment of Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera, and the 2.º Emergency Intervention Battalion of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME- BIEM II). The USAF maintains a presence through the 496th Air Base Squadron, part of the 65th Air Base Group under US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The base features a single asphalt runway, 02/20, measuring 3,597 meters (11,801 ft) in length. In 2015, an agreement granted the U.S. military a permanent presence, allowing for up to 3,000 American troops and civilians and an increase in aircraft capacity.