His Majesty King Felipe VI visits the Aircraft Flotilla.

His Majesty King Felipe VI visited the Aircraft Flotilla (FLOAN in its Spanish initials) on Tuesday, April 28, as well as the Survival Center (CESUPAR) and the Damage Control Training Center (CASI), located at Rota Naval Base.

During his visit, the King was accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles; the Chief of Staff of the Armada (AJEMA), Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro; the Fleet Commander (ALFLOT), Admiral José Enrique Delgado; and the Commander of the Aircraft Flotilla (COMFLOAN), Colonel Antonio Núñez.

After being received by the AJEMA on the runway at Rota Naval Base and greeting military authorities, the King proceeded to the COMFLOAN (Naval Air Fleet Command) headquarters, where he received a briefing on the current status and future plans of the Aircraft Flotilla during a working coffee meeting.

Following this, His Majesty spoke with members of the Flotilla and received explanations from the Squadron Leaders regarding the displayed equipment and current aircraft of the Armada, thus gaining insight into their capabilities and air power.

Currently, the Aircraft Flotilla's personnel consist of just over 660 military personnel and is organized into six Squadrons. two of them fixed-wing, three rotary-wing and one unmanned vehicle, having the following aircraft and tasks:

    • The 4th Squadron has two ‘Cessna Citation’ II C-550 aircraft and its primary missions are logistic and personnel transport, as well as maritime surveillance.

    • The 9th Squadron has 11 AV-8B ‘Harrier’ aircraft and their main characteristic is the capability to take off and land vertically or on short runways. This aircraft is the offensive air vector for projecting naval power ashore and can operate in both day and night missions, with its primary role being air-to-ground operations.

    • The 10th Squadron has 12 SH-60B and 6 SH-60F aircraft. The 'B' model's primary missions are anti-submarine and surface warfare, and it can also carry out logistic and search and rescue missions. The 'F' model, on the other hand, is dedicated to troop transport in both, Navy and Marine Corps missions.

    • The 11th Squadron has 15 ‘ScanEagle’ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can be operated from 5 control stations; it also has 5 ‘Scrab’ II targets. Its main mission is to obtain real-time images and video of areas of interest, as well as to support the certification of ships and units with its drone targets.

    • The 12th Squadron has 7 European-made H-135 helicopters, equipped with modern systems and a high degree of automation that allows them to operate in a wide variety of missions.

    • The 14th Squadron has 3 European-made NH-90 MSPT (Maritime Spanish Transport) helicopters, with 4 additional units (up to a total of 7 helicopters) scheduled to be delivered starting in the second half of 2026. Their main mission is the tactical transport of troops and special air operations in the maritime domain. Specifically, Felipe VI was able to board and take a familiarization flight as co-pilot on this latest aircraft, one of the most modern units of the Armada.

After the flight, His Majesty went to the CESUPAR, where he observed how pilots and naval air crews train in the event of an aircraft experiencing an emergency or accident at sea. These facilities have become one of the world's leading centers for maritime survival training. CESUPAR offers a wide range of courses, both civilian and military, focused not only on pilots and aircraft crews, but also on all personnel who, in the course of their duties, may be involved in a water landing at sea, such as paratroopers, rescue swimmers, personnel performing fast-rope maneuvers, or simply personnel being transported by helicopter.

Finally, the King had the opportunity to see how personnel embarked on Fleet units train for real emergencies such as fires and floods, visiting the CASI (Damage Control Training Center). This center has three full-scale simulators (models) of a ship and two aircraft, totaling nine scenarios common to any type of Navy vessels. 

Furthermore, in 2019, the training capabilities were expanded with the creation of a floodable compartment for plugging, patching, and pumping drills. All of this makes the simulator a benchmark both nationally and internationally.