Images from the rehearsal of the Spanish Armed Forces Day air parade in Vigo

Preparations for the main events of Spanish Armed Forces Day 2026 continue in the city of Vigo and also in its skies.

The PC-21s of the Formación Mirlo will make their debut at an Armed Forces Day in Vigo
The program for Spain's Armed Forces Day 2026, which will be held in Vigo

Today, at 11:03 CET, the Spanish Air Force announced that the rehearsal for the air show over Vigo could be seen at 1:30 PM. Indeed, in Vigo we were able to see aircraft, but flying at high altitude and not in a formation resembling an air show.

These images were taken this afternoon from Monte del Castro, in the city center. In them, we can see some of the aircraft that participated in this rehearsal. The plan is for 46 airplanes and 25 helicopters to participate in this parade. Today we have only been able to see aircraft from the Air Force (the parade will also include the participation of the Army, the Navy, and the Civil Guard Air Service). Above, we can see a formation of three EF-18M Hornet fighter jets over the Monte Alba hermitage.

Two EF-18Ms over Toralla Island. At the altitude they were flying, a good telephoto lens would be needed to get better images...

An enlarged image of one of the EF-18Ms. It carried two external fuel tanks and and an AIM-2000 IRIS-T air-to-air missile on the port side marginal pylon.

Another enlarged image of an EF-18M, specifically C.15-43, from Wing 15, based in Zaragoza. We can distinguish the beautiful commemorative livery for the 40th anniversary of that unit on its starboard tail fin. This aircraft also carried an AIM-2000 IRIS-T air-to-air missile on the port wingtip pylon and three external fuel tanks. The two underwing tanks featured a distinctive NATO Tiger Meet livery.

One of the Airbus A330 MRTT transport and refueling aircraft of Wing 45, based in Torrejón de Ardoz. Specifically, it is TK.24-03, with the radio call sign "Brujo 61". It was circling the mouth of the Arosa Estuary for quite some time, as seen on Fightradar24.

An enlargement of the previous photo. As we can see, the A330 MRTT TK.24-03 had its two in-flight refueling hoses extended. According to the Armed Forces Day press kit (PDF), this aircraft will fly in Formation 6 of the air parade accompanied by an EF-18 from Wing 15 and a Eurofighter from Wing 11, simulating an in-flight refueling formation.

The A330 MRTT TK.24-03 flying over the Morrazo peninsula. Below we see the town of Cangas de Morrazo.

The A330 MRTT TK.24-03 flying over the Vigo Estuary, with the Cíes Islands in the background.

This test also featured an Airbus A310 from Wing 45 (above) and one of the amphibious firefighting aircraft from Group 43 (below; it is unclear whether it was a CL-215T or a CL-415). Both are based at Torrejón de Ardoz.

A very forced enlargement of the A310 in the previous photo. The A310 is one of the aircraft used by the Air Force for transporting VIPs.

The A310 (above) and the amphibious aircraft of the 43rd Group (below) over Cangas. The aircraft of the 43rd Group are regular visitors to Galicia, as this unit deploys a detachment every summer at the Santiago de Compostela Military Airfield to fight forest fires.

An Airbus A400M Atlas transport and aerial refueling aircraft from Wing 31 during a rehearsal for the air parade. It was TK.23-14, with the radio call sign "Mamut 71". Two aircraft of this type will fly in Formation 7 of the air parade.

There were also several helicopters at the rehearsal. Here we see the AS-332 Super Puma HT.21A-02 (radio call sign "Puma 21", on the left) and an NH90 "Lobo" (on the right), both from Wing 48, based in Getafe, flying over Cangas. These helicopters will fly in Formation 12 in the air parade. An EC-120 Colibri from the Patrulla Aspa was also seen; this unit will follow in Formation 13.

The Super Puma and the NH90 over the Vigo Estuary, with the Cíes Islands in the background. Below, we see the buildings of the Museum of the Sea of ​​Galicia in Vigo.

We finish with this image of the Super Puma (bottom left) and the NH90 (bottom right) and a C295M transport aircraft from Wing 35, based in Getafe. What we see below is the Morrazo peninsula.