Spain, US Defense Ministers Attend Joint Exercise At Morón Air Base

Spain’s Minister for Defense, Pedro Morenés, and US Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter, attended a tactical exhibition of Spanish and North American marines at Morón Air Base in Southern Spain.

The exhibition commenced with a demonstration of in-flight refuelling from a Hercules aircraft to two American V-22 Osprey aircraft. After refuelling, the Ospreys landed and the marines disembarked to carry out the exercise.

At the end of the exercise, the two ministers conversed with the wing commanders in charge of the participating units, and inquired after the cooperation and collaboration between Spanish and American military personnel.

At this dynamic display of interoperability, a rifle unit of the Spanish Navy Marines based in San Fernando (Cadiz) took part, and a North American Marine Unit deployed in Morón. The exercise consisted of the disembarkation of the two units with the aim of securing a zone for the subsequent deployment of forces.

Subsequently, Ashton Carter held a meeting with his troops, a total of 926 personnel that are currently based at Morón.

In turn, the minister toured various installations at the base accompanied by the Chief of the Air Force Staff, General Francisco Javier García Arnaiz.

Last year, the Spanish Armed Forces carried out 34 joint exercises with the American military units deployed in Spain The collaboration remains ongoing and 50 exercises are scheduled for 2015.