Even if many readers didn’t know this airport until I published the story of the F-22 deployed to the UAE, Moron Air Base (whose actual name is Morón) is a strategic airbase that can be used by any American plane moving eastbound from the U.S.
It is used as a stopover by all the F-16 and F-15 flights going to or returning from Afghanistan (whose standard route is a r/t CONUS – Moron – EAU – Afghanistan) along with Lajes field (Azores), Sigonella (Sicily) and Souda Bay (Crete).
On May 2, eight F-15E Strike Eagles belonging to the 336th Fighter Squadron paid visit to Moron airbase, Spain, on their way to Afghanistan.
Here’s the list of aircraft involved in the deployment:
89-0501 “SJ” 336th FS “Flagship”
89-0503 “SJ”
87-0176 “SJ”
88-1688 “SJ”
88-1687 “SJ”
88-1669 “SJ”
89-0495 “SJ”
87-0206 “SJ”
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Image credit: Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta
As happened during the Desert Storm in Iraq and Allied Force in Kosovo, Moron hosted the U.S. tanker force supporting Unified Protector during the air war in Libya, when KC-135s and KC-10s of the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing, which was given a nickname “Calico Wing” provided air-to-air refueling services to both American and allied planes.
It was also one of four Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) sites in Europe even if, as all the other alternate landing sites, it was never used for such purpose during the entire NASA’s program.
Related articles
- Some interesting details about the F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in UAE (while en route to Afghanistan) (theaviationist.com)
- Exclusive: What nobody else will tell you about the U.S. F-22 stealth fighters deployed near Iran (theaviationist.com)
- Photo: U.S. F-22 Raptors landing at Moron airbase, Spain, on their way to the Persian Gulf. (theaviationist.com)
- F-15E Strike Eagle that destroyed a flying Iraqi Mi-24 reaches 10,000 logged flying hours. Over Afghanistan. (theaviationist.com)
- Photo: nearly 70 F-15E Strike Eagles in largest Elephant Walk to date. (theaviationist.com)
- Vipers, Growlers, Prowlers, Eagles and Hogs: U.S. combat planes at Aviano airbase during Libya air war. With heart background. (theaviationist.com)
