PortCastelló receives the vessel Méndez Núñez for the operation `Eagle Eye 21-03´

04-10-2021.

The Aerospace Operational Command begins activation ‘Eagle Eye 21-03’ The MOA, with assigned Army capabilities of the Air, the Army and the Navy, will develop the activation in Castellón under operational control of Operations Command 01.Oct.’21.- The people of Castellón will be able to contemplate, from October 4 to 8, air, naval and land resources of the Armed Forces on the occasion of the ‘Eagle Eye 21-03’ activation, aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of the joint integration of the means assigned to the defense of space national airline permanently. For the same there will be close to 2,100 participants and different media assigned to the Operational Command Aerospace (MOA), under operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS).

During ‘Eagle Eye 21-03’, citizens will have the possibility to see soar through its skies Eurofighter planes of Wing 14, sail through its waters to the frigate F-104 “Méndez Núñez” and see the deployment in their lands of the PATRIOT Group of the Army leading the Defense Unit Antiaircraft (UDAA).

From the part of the Air Force, 1,560 men and women will contribute to the activation. The air assets will be the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Wing 14, which will carry out aerospace defense from the air. Meanwhile, the Central Command and Control Group (GRUCEMAC), located at the Torrejón Air Base, will be in charge of monitoring the airspace, as well as performing the control functions of the Aerospace Defense System. To carry out this task, GRUCEMAC will use the data provided by the different Surveillance Squadrons, as well as those distributed by land and naval media. In addition, the Air Operations Center (AOC), also participating in this activation, constitutes the command post for the mission of surveillance and control of the airspace of national sovereignty and, when appropriate, the air policing, air defense and ballistic missiles. The Navy will participate with the frigate “Méndez Núñez” (F-104), whose crew is 201 men and women. It is a multipurpose vessel, 147 meters long, 19 wide and with a full load displacement of 6000 tons. Thanks to its AEGIS Combat System, the frigate provides great air defense capacity, complementing the coverage of the Air Surveillance Squadrons and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Unit.

For its part, the Army’s UDAA will be made up of different units of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command (MAAA) and will be in charge of complement the capabilities of the MOA by integrating it into the National Aerospace Defense System (SDA). The UDAA will count for first time with the participation of the III / 73 Antiaircraft Artillery Group, plus known as Grupo PATRIOT, which until now had not participated in this activation. The Group will constitute both the Command and Control Nucleus and the Nucleus Logistics of the operational organization. The Core of Fire is made up of different units that will provide, among others, the following systems of weapons: Mistral system of the 71st Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment (Madrid), 35/90 SkyGuard system of the 73rd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment (Cartagena) and HAWK system of the 74th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment (Seville). The MAAA Transmission Unit will guarantee the link and integration of the UDAA in the Command and Control System, while a section of the 8th Lusitania Cavalry Regiment (Marines) will carry out security roles in deployment.

Activation ‘Eagle Eye 21-03’ The ‘Eagle Eye 21-03’ activation, with 2,100 participants, takes place in the framework of the permanent operations of the Armed Forces, which carried out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Aerospace Operational Command (MOA) is the organ of the structure operation of the Armed Forces responsible, at its level, for planning, conduction and monitoring of the aforementioned operations in the field aerospace. He is directly subordinate to the Chief of Staff of the Defense (JEMAD), under operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS).