Spain Prepares Military Rearmament Plan Amid Trump’s Threats

The Ministry of Defence of Spain is preparing a large-scale military rearmament plan that will include 15 new procurement and modernization programs.

Spain’s Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, revealed the plan in an interview with El País.

The programs are designed to ensure that Spain meets its target of spending 2% of GDP on defence this year, despite not having an approved national budget. The plan is expected to be presented to the Council of Ministers for approval in the coming weeks.

According to Robles, the new programs will primarily focus on upgrading and maintaining existing military equipment, as acquiring entirely new, advanced weapons systems can take up to 10 years. Among the planned projects is the modernization of the Spanish Navy’s F-100-class frigates.

Robles said Spain aims to strengthen its own defence capabilities as the United States seeks to reduce its military presence in Europe and shift more of the financial burden to its European allies. As part of this effort, Spain has offered to contribute to NATO’s burden-sharing by providing seven fighter jets, two aerial refueling aircraft, one frigate, one air defence battery, and one maritime patrol aircraft to the Alliance by 2029.

Robles also responded to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly described Spain as a ‘disaster’ as an ally and the only NATO member refusing to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP. The minister said such remarks were abstract and that Trump’s dissatisfaction was directed at Europe as a whole. She added that Spain is acting responsibly by not making commitments it cannot fulfill and currently ranks seventh in NATO for meeting the Alliance’s capability targets.

Last October, Trump threatened Spain with trade sanctions over its refusal to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP.

To underscore Madrid’s reliability as an ally, Robles highlighted Spain’s contribution to international operations. Nearly 3,000 Spanish service members are currently deployed on NATO missions. Spain provides the largest contingent to the Alliance’s Rapid Reaction Force, is the second-largest contributor to the Baltic Air Policing mission, and ranks fourth in NATO’s naval deployments.

Robles also pointed to Spain’s unique role in Turkey, where Spanish troops remain the only personnel operating a Patriot air defence battery, which she said played a significant role during the conflict with Iran. In addition, Spain is among the largest contributors of personnel and equipment to NATO’s mission in Iraq.

Robles also explained Spain’s earlier decision to deny the United States permission to use the Rota and Morón military bases to launch strikes against Iran. She stressed that Madrid strictly adheres to the bilateral agreements governing the use of these facilities and will never support operations that violate either Spanish or international law. According to the minister, the U.S. military campaign lacked a legal basis and only worsened the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Robles also expressed disappointment with the progress of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, a next-generation fighter project jointly developed by Germany, France, and Spain. She said the project, which is considered critical for the Spanish Air and Space Force, has effectively stalled because of competing industrial interests among the partner countries. The minister said she hopes the participants will find alternative ways to move the program forward by the end of the year.

The defence minister also sharply criticized Spanish defence company Indra, which leads the Tess Defence consortium. Her main concern was the company’s failure to meet its contractual obligations and repeated delays in delivering the Dragon 8×8 wheeled armored vehicles. According to Robles, the Spanish Army has received only 84 vehicles so far out of the total order. She expressed hope that the company’s new management would get the program back on track.