The United States Air Force plans to expand and modernise Moron Air Base in southern Spain to boost capacity for strategic B-52 bombers, according to military publication The War Zone.
The Pentagon is preparing to overhaul the installation, located in Andalusia, to increase space for housing and refueling the heavy long-range aircraft.
Moron Air Base is a Spanish military facility used by American forces to provide expeditionary combat support and service transit aircraft. A recent preliminary tender announcement listed an aircraft parking apron at the installation as the primary contract requirement.
The project foresees expanding the aircraft apron to provide nine new parking spaces for un-armed planes, or three new parking spaces for B-52 bombers fitted with live ammunition.
Accommodating aircraft loaded with explosives requires additional physical separation for safety in the event of an accidental detonation. An Air Force budget document explained that the current apron cannot accept armed strategic bombers due to safety arc restrictions near nearby residential buildings.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range heavy bomber operated by the US Air Force for strategic deterrence and conventional precision strikes. Operating from southern Europe gives the fleet access to key operational theaters across the region.
Infrastructure and Storage Upgrades
Beyond the expanded parking footprint, the project includes installing 10 new refueling wells alongside connected pipeline infrastructure. Work also involves relocating a military engineers storage complex to build a new covered warehouse and an open storage yard, as well as widening apron shoulders and access roads.
Air Force military construction documents for fiscal year 2027 stated that the project is necessary to increase combat readiness at the facility. Official records noted that infrastructure facilitating rapid response and deployment within set timelines is a critical factor for conducting both training and combat operations.
The expanded parking apron will increase the capability of Moron Air Base to execute future mission tasks. The 496th Air Base Squadron, the unit servicing the facility, described the installation as a vital link for operations deployed east of the United States due to its strategic position near the Mediterranean and Middle East, large parking area, long runway, refueling systems, and favorable weather conditions.
Timeline and Missile Development
According to the preliminary tender notice, the modernization effort will cost between 25 million and 100 million US dollars. Work is expected to finish within 1,038 calendar days following the formal notice to proceed.
In separate Air Force developments reported by news agency UNIAN, American military leaders are preparing a closed-door meeting with defense contractors to present requirements for a new air-to-air missile system featuring a range of at least 1,000 nautical miles.
The target range is roughly 10 times greater than the capabilities of the latest AIM-120D-3 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) variants currently in service. The ultra-long-range weapon is being designed to target critical enemy airborne platforms operating deep behind front lines, including airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft and strategic aerial refueling tankers.
