Spain greenlights €7.3 billion weaponry programme

ACCORDING to sources at Spain’s Defence Ministry, the government is ready to approve three weapons programmes worth €7.3 billion.
As part of the plans, five F-110 class frigates will be constructed between 2019 and 2032 at a cost of more than €4.3 billion.
In addition, 348 army vehicles worth €2.1 billion will be procured by 2025, along with €906 million in upgrades to the Eurofighter aircraft.
Since Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez came to power in June, the government has also approved the release of nearly €1.2 billion in cost overruns for S-80 submarines; €1.4 billion for communications satellites; €819 million to upgrade Spain’s Chinook helicopters, and almost €1.4 billion to buy NH-90 helicopters.
In total, the government’s expenditure on defence will rise to €12.1 billion, and ministers are approving the investment for these programmes, not the contracts themselves.
Construction on the frigates is expected to create 7,000 jobs over nine years, mostly located in Galicia.
They are equipped with a US-developed naval weapons system known as Aegis, and will replace the Spanish Navy’s six Santa Maria frigates, which have been in service for over 30 years.
The Euro fighter upgrade seeks to prevent the Spanish aircraft from becoming obsolete compared with other project members (Britain, Germany and Italy).