The QRA service of the Spanish Air Force, the system that protects Spain's airspace

One of the main missions of the Spanish Air Force is to defend Spain's airspace, a mission in which it uses fighter aircraft.

The Spanish Air Force, the F-35 and the characteristics of three possible alternatives
The pre-flight check and cockpit of a Spanish EF-18BM fighter explained by its pilot

To carry out this defense, the Spanish Air Force has an alarm system known as QRA (Quick Reaction Alert). This system is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and its purpose is to provide armed aircraft ready to take off in a few minutes in order to intercept, identify and intervene aircraft in flight, in case they are a threat to national security or fly without identifying themselves and without respecting international aviation regulations.

There are five fighter wings of the Air Force that are part of this alarm service. Four of these fighter wings are part of the Air Combat Command (MACOM):

• Wing 11, based in Morón (Seville), equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon.
• Wing 12, based in Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid), equipped with EF-18M Hornet.
• Wing 14, based in Albacete, equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon.
• Wing 15, based in Zaragoza, equipped with EF-18M Hornet.

The fifth unit is attached to the Canary Islands Air Command (MACAN):

• Wing 46, based in Gando (Gran Canaria), equipped with EF-18A+ Hornet (above), which is already planned to be replaced with Eurofighter Typhoon.

When on alert duty, these units must be able to get two aircraft into the air within a maximum of 15 minutes in the event of receiving what NATO calls an Alpha Scramble (A-SCR), a high-priority alert caused by a potentially dangerous aircraft, flying with the transponder off, without communicating a flight plan or because it has suddenly changed route without reporting.

This system protects Spaniards from potential air threats at all times. Air Force pilots and ground personnel are on alert every day to take off as soon as they receive an alert, whether it is a working day, Christmas or any other time of the year. It is a service that many Spaniards are unaware of, and that does not receive much publicity, despite the fact that it serves to safeguard our peace and security. You can see here a video from Fly By Wire Aviation that shows the takeoff and landing of two EF-18M fighters from Wing 12, one of the units in charge of this QRA service:

---

Photos: Ejército del Aire.