Talavera la Real Air Base

Talavera la Real Air Base is located in the province of Badajoz, Spain, 15 km from the city of Badajoz near the border with the municipality of Talavera la Real. The facility was established in 1953 as the Escuela de Reactores. Its development coincided with the land clearing and agricultural expansion of the Plan Badajoz during the 1950s.

The Spanish Air Force operates the base, which serves as the station for Ala 23. The mission of this wing is the instruction and formation of combat pilots for fighter units. The unit utilizes Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter aircraft for these training operations.

The base shares its runway with the civilian Badajoz Airport, which is located on the opposite side of the airfield. While the facility originally operated with two runways, it currently utilizes a single runway.

The base is the subject of a proposal titled the Talavera European Fighter School (TEFS), presented in coordination with EADS-CASA. This project is intended to integrate the base into the Eurotraining Project to provide combat pilot instruction for 12 European nations.