Spanish Military Jets 1954-2022: Difficult Beginnings

After World War Two, as most countries were beginning to modernize their air forces, Spain found itself primarily flying the very aircraft it had been fielding a decade earlier. In fact, the most modern fighter in the Ejercito del Aire (EdA, Spanish Air Force) was the Messerschmitt Bf 109F. However, with help from the US and the signing of the Pact of Madrid, Spain received its first military jets in 1954.

While the jets they received were not the most modern of equipment, they flew well and enabled Spain to bring the EdA and Armada (Navy) in line with forces from other European countries. Spain soon had a fleet of jet aircraft in their armed services, which included the Lockheed T-33, North American F-86 Sabre, Hispano HA-200 Saeta and HA-220 Super Saeta, Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, Dassualt Mirage III and F-1, Northrop F-5, McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II and Harrier AV-8S. With over 140 images, this book, the first of two volumes on Spanish military jets, looks at the earliest jets received, their roles and the liveries they displayed. Since 1954, these jets have continued to prove their worth and have helped bring the Spanish military into the modern era.