FORCE REPORT // SPANISH BATTLEFIELD SUPPORT
The Spanish Army airmobile force known as FAMET (Fuerzas Aeromoviles del Ejercito de Tierra) is completing a major upgrade, introducing the latest European rotary platforms to provide an enviable capability for this impressive fighting force.
SUMMER, AND THE north of Spain is dry and dusty, ravaged by the unrelenting sun and soaring temperatures. The San Gregorio exercise area, close to the town of Zaragoza, is one of the biggest in Europe, with armored vehicles criss-crossing rough tracks, kicking up plumes of dust that are quickly swept away by the strong winds. The FAMET (Fuerzas Aerómoviles del Ejercito de Tierra, Spanish Army Airmobile Forces) deploys its helicopters here to work closely with the ground forces, and it serves as an ideal opportunity to check out the new hardware in town.
The introduction of the Airbus Tiger HAD (Helicoptere d’Appui Destruction) attack helicopter and the NH Industries NH90 Caiman to operate alongside the existing CH-47D Chinooks means the FAMET now boasts a modern and impressive rotary force. When Combat Aircraft visited the San Gregorio exercises, the Tigers and NH90s were being put through their paces, preparing for potential operational deployments.
The Spanish Army’s helicopter modernization began in the late 1990s, when it sought to replace its Bo 105 anti-tank platforms. This triggered a competition between the new European Tiger and proven American AH-64 Apache.…
