Military

F-18 fighter jets roar over Malaga as Eagle Eye military exercise begins

Air force deploys six aircraft to Malaga Air Base alongside army and navy units for air defence drills over Alboran Sea

Málaga

22/09/2026 a las 07:15h.

“What a fright – the way those planes flew past, it was absolutely terrifying!” exclaimed a reader from the Carretera de Cádiz area, shortly after ... witnessing several fighter jets fly past near his home.

The reason for this display is the start of the ‘Eagle Eye 26-03’ exercise, which began yesterday (Monday) at Malaga Air Base and will run until Friday over the Alboran Sea.

The ‘Eagle Eye’ exercise, which has already taken place on several previous occasions, is led by the Air Operations Command and conducted under the operational control of the Operations Command.

Its aim is to integrate the capabilities of the Air and Space Force, the Army and the Navy into the national air defence system, in order to improve efficiency in the conduct of presence, surveillance and deterrence operations.

The exercise integrates the capabilities of the Air and Space Force, the Army and the Navy into the national air defence system

Surveillance of Spanish territory takes place 24 hours a day, every day of the year, covering sovereign borders, territorial waters, national airspace, contiguous outer space and cyberspace, “which guarantees the safeguarding of our nation’s sovereignty”, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Deployment of F-18 fighter jets

Six F-18 fighter jets from the 15th Wing, based at Zaragoza Air Base, have deployed to Malaga Air Base under Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) status.

The alert protocol requires crew and aircraft to be airborne within 15 minutes of detecting unidentified targets in national airspace.Airspace monitoring is managed by the Central Command and Control Group (GRUCEMAC) at Torrejón Air Base, using radar network data from Air Surveillance Squadrons in Constantina (Seville), Motril (Granada) and Alcalá de los Gazules (Cadiz).

Tactical control and airspace coordination are supported by the Seville Air Control Squadron.

Air defence

The Army has deployed the II-73 Air Defence Unit around Malaga Air Base and Malaga port to provide anti-aircraft coverage. Formed under the Air Defence Artillery Command, the unit is led by the Cartagena-based 2nd/73rd Air Defence Artillery Group.

Offshore, the Navy frigate Méndez Núñez (F-104) is operating across the Alboran Sea. Equipped with advanced radar and missile systems, the vessel integrates directly into the national air defence grid to complement ground radar coverage.