Structure of the Spanish Air Force


The article provides an overview of the entire chain of command and organization of the Spanish Air Force as of 2018 and includes all currently active units. The Spanish Air Force is commanded by the Air Force Chief of Staff or "Jefe de Estado Mayor" in Madrid.
The source for this article is .

Historical background

A Government decree dated 2d October 1935 of the Spanish Republican Government that placed the Dirección General de Aeronáutica under the authority of a specific ministry, known then as the War Ministry, Ministerio de la Guerra, instead of being under the Presidencia del Gobierno. Following that decree, the Air Force regional units became restructured in 1936. Accordingly, the Spanish Navy-based Escuadra model was replaced by Región Militar divisions which was operative until for all of the 20th century. Nowadays the Spanish Air Force is still under a separate ministry, the Ministerio de Defensa.
After the Spanish Civil War the bulk of the Spanish Armed Forces changes were introduced within the regional structure, following which all relevant air bases would be withdrawn from Catalonia, a former key region in the development of the Aeronáutica Militar, the Spanish Air Force in its early days.
Even though before and during the Civil War important air bases had been established in or around Barcelona, like the Aviación Naval, henceforward the whole northeastern area of Spain would be left with mere token presence of the Spanish Air Force. The situation is similar in the Basque Country as well, with the difference that there had not been any important air bases there before the conflict that shaped the present structure. While Galicia has no significant Air Force Base within its territory, it has nevertheless a very important Naval Base at Ferrol.

Structure

The Air Force Chief of Staff commands all units of the Spanish Air Force from the headquarter in Madrid.
The Air Force Headquarters manages the human and material resources necessary for the JEMA to exercise command over the Air Force.
The Combat Air Command at Torrejón Air Base is the operational headquarter of the Spanish Air Force and responsible for the control and defense of the Spanish airspace.
The following units are part of the General Air Command but fall operationally under the Combat Air Command:
The General Air Command in Madrid maintains and supports the operational forces, and oversees the Air Force's training and formation units. The following units are all part of the MAGEN, but operationally many fall under the operational control of other higher commands. Therefore the following listing separates the units of MAGEN according to the air force's operational organization.
The Canary Islands Air Command is responsible for the defense of the Canary Islands and the only regional command.
The Logistic Support Command in Madrid manages the air force's material resources and logistical support.
The following units are part of the General Air Command but fall operationally under the Logistic Support Command:
The Personnel Command in Madrid manages and controls all personnel matters, including assistance medical and educational aspects.
The following units are part of the General Air Command but fall operationally under the Personnel Command:
The Economic Affairs Directorate in Madrid oversees the air force's budget and reports to the Ministry of Defense's General Directorate of Economic Affairs.