Spain goes shopping: buys four Patriot fire units, engine fans for F-18 fleet

Spain is to acquire four Patriot air and missile defense system fire units for US$1.7 billion (€1.45 billion), RTX’s Raytheon confirmed on December 23, 2025. 

The contract includes radars, launchers, command and control systems, and training equipment and support. 

In its press release, Raytheon did not clarify whether this order is part of one previously authorized by the United States State Department in 2023, for the sale of four PAC-3+ fire units to Spain. That order, valued at US$2.8 billion, also included the delivery of 51 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 missiles and related systems, spares and support.  

However, what the US defense manufacturer did confirm was that Spanish companies will participate in the program. In particular, aerospace and engineering group Sener will make the electro-mechanical control system of the GEM-T missile while another Spanish company, Grupo Oesía, will produce the wiring and wire harnesses for the PAC-3 missiles (Patriot Advanced Capability 3), which are in turn manufactured by Lockheed Martin. 

In January 2024, Spain joined Germany, the Netherlands and Romania in placing a joint order for 1,000 units of the previous generation GEM-T PAC-2 missile, which is used by the Patriot batteries currently operated by these three countries. 

Spain first acquired Patriot air defense systems second hand from Germany in 2004. At present, Spain operates three batteries with six launchers each. One of the Spanish Patriot batteries has been deployed near Adana, in southeastern Turkey, since 2015. This deployment followed Turkey’s request for NATO assistance in the midst of the Syrian conflict next to its borders. 

This is not the only major defense acquisition Spain has closed before the end of the year. One day earlier, on December 22, 2025, the United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency also authorized the sale to Spain of 200 F-404 engine fans for its F/A-18 fighter jet fleet. 

This adds to a previous order, valued at $98.80 million, for 50 F-404 engine fans, bringing the total to 250 units for a total cost of US$200 million. 

Spain, which was recently scolded by President Trump for having one of the lowest defense expenditures among NATO members (1.2% of GDP in 2023), has been on a defense shopping spree in Q4 2025, allocating some €3.7 billion to purchase new helicopters and trainer and transport aircraft for its armed forces. 

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