Defense spending has been one of the points of friction in the coexistence in the Government between the PSOE and United We Can. But the socialists show that they turn a deaf ear to the proposals of the purple ones and that increasing investment in security is one of their priorities. This has been demonstrated in the last two Councils of Ministers held, where investment in programs for the modernization of the Armed Forces has accelerated. Specifically, in the cabinet on April 18 an investment of almost 5,000 million was approved, plus another 3,000 million at the meeting on April 11 for the EF-2000, the NH-90 helicopter or the wheeled combat vehicles (VCR ) 8×8, among others.

«In terms of Defense, and as in all partner and allied countries, Spain is consolidating a stable financing framework to provide the Armed Forces with the necessary capabilities to efficiently carry out their missions and operations, both permanent and temporary. that they deploy abroad, as well as missions that are considered necessary to preserve the security and well-being of Spanish society in the face of serious risks, catastrophes, calamities or other public needs. The annual National Security Report, corresponding to the year 2022, and which has just been made public, thus justifies the economic acceleration that the Spanish Executive, despite the reluctance of United We Can, is deploying.

This commitment to invest in weapons by Spain coincides in time with the knowledge that the US has approved the sale to Morocco of missile launchers similar to those it has delivered to Ukraine. It will supply 18 HIMARS missile launch systems and 112 surface-to-surface missiles of three different models, with a range of between 82 and 305 kilometers.

The movements of the neighboring country do not go unnoticed in Spain. “Morocco and Algeria remain immersed in a tense ‘security dilemma’, with the issue of Western Sahara as a backdrop,” observes the National Security report.

The increase in defense spending is one of the commitments that NATO demanded from Spain at the NATO summit held in Madrid and a commitment that Pedro Sánchez acquired. This is stated in the National Security report: «The Russian aggression has provoked a reaction of cohesion and firmness among the partners and allies of the European Union and NATO, which has included the imposition of sanctions and commitments to increase defense spending. In the case of Spain, the government has committed to reaching 2% of GDP in the Defense budget in 2029.

That purpose of increasing spending has a clear example in this month of April. On the 11th, an agreement was approved authorizing the modification of the spending limits and the number of annual payments to acquire spending commitments charged to future years, in order to enable the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism to meet the financing of the HALCON programs – the acquisition of 20 latest-generation Eurofighter aircraft to replace the F-18 fleet – and the modernization, evolution and logistic support of the EF-2000 (III) aircraft.

The aforementioned agreement established that, in order to meet the financial needs of the projects, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism is required to partially pre-finance the HALCÓN program, between the years 2022 and 2027, for a total amount of 1,397,664,000 euros. and the EF-2000 (III) program, between the years 2023 and 2026 for a total amount of 1,750,000,000 euros.

The Ministry of Industry has had a collaboration agreement with Defense since 1996 for special weapons programmes. Based on it, since 1997 Industry has pre-financed various special weapons programs.

An even greater investment commitment was agreed at last week’s meeting, on the 18th. Specifically, it was approved to modify the limits established in article 47 of Law 47/2003, of November 26, General Budgetary, to acquire spending commitments charged to future years, in order to enable Defense to reschedule seven Special Programs for the Modernization of the Armed Forces.

Namely, the Pizarro Program (16,355,000 euros) for chain-fighting vehicles; the NH-90 Program (39,800,000 euros), which consists of the renewal of medium-sized tactical transport helicopters in service; the VCR 8X8 Program (420,000,000 euros), for combat vehicles on wheels; new programs for the MH60-R Helicopter (820,515,490.36 euros), for chain support vehicles (1,970,000,000 euros), the acquisition of two Coastal Survey Vessels (162,754,754.26 euros) and a New Systems Program High Performance Tactical Remotely Manned Aircraft (500,000,000 euros).

To all this must be added another 742 million also approved on the 18th, for the modernization and acquisition of new programs such as the Santiago Joint Electronic Warfare Program; the SIMFAC air support simulator or the MISTRAL system, a light short-range missile system, among other initiatives.

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