Canary Islands will have Eurofighter and latest-generation radar in Gran Canaria and Lanzarote

The chief general of the Canary Islands Command, Julio Salom, announced significant advances this Tuesday for the modernization of the army in the islands with the arrival of Eurofighters from Plan Halcón and the renovation of the radars in Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, which are state-of-the-art and nationally manufactured. Julio Salom announced these advances during the speech he gave at the General Captaincy of the Canary Islands on the occasion of the Epiphany Military, in which he particularly recalled the celebration of Armed Forces Day last June in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In his speech, which was disseminated by the Canary Islands Command, the lieutenant general addressed the situation of irregular immigration, especially the situation of minors, regarding which he stated that "not everything has been joyful in 2025" and praised the daily work of the Civil Guard, the National Police, Maritime Rescue, the Red Cross, and NGOs. Salom highlighted that the Canary Islands continue to be a point of arrival on the Atlantic route, although he stressed that "a decrease of more than 60% compared to the previous year has been observed," thanks, among other factors, to cooperation with the countries of origin. On the international stage, the lieutenant general acknowledged that the global situation continues to be marked by instability, referring to the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza, to which he added other scenarios such as Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, or Sudan. In this context, he defended the need to continue transforming the Armed Forces to face current risks, pointing out that "Spain must have Armed Forces with the degree of readiness and availability consistent with the threats and our strategic situation." During his speech, Salom placed special emphasis on the operational role of the Canary Islands within the Land Operational Command and recalled that from the archipelago, daily contributions are made to presence, surveillance, and deterrence missions in the islands, Ceuta, Melilla, the Balearic Islands, and the Spanish sovereign islets. The speech included broad recognition of overseas missions, recalling the recent return of nearly 500 soldiers from the Canary Islands Brigade XVI from Lebanon, a mission he described as "as delicate as it is risky," and the assignment of the Canary Islands Command to the mission that Spain is carrying out in Iraq under the NATO flag. He also highlighted military cooperation activities in Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Ghana, and Benin, emphasizing the Mauritanian and Ghanaian ones which "reaffirm once again the African vocation of our Command." Salom dedicated another significant section to the modernization of the Armed Forces, mentioning the progress of the Ejército 2035 project and the progressive incorporation of new technologies. However, he wanted to make it clear that the human factor remains key: "All of this will be of no value if it is not supported by our main asset: the soldiers, bearers of values and imbued with a sense of duty." Lieutenant General Salom also dedicated words of recognition to the Canary Islands Air Command, which he defined as an essential piece for the security of the archipelago. He recalled that the nearly 2,000 aviators stationed in the islands fulfilled their permanent mission of surveillance and control of airspace during 2025, managing "almost a million detected traces" and ensuring search and rescue coverage in an area exceeding one and a half million square kilometers. "Our aviators guarantee the air defense and security of the Canary Islands every day," he stated, also highlighting their participation in large-scale exercises such as Ocean Sky 25 and their support in emergencies such as the storm in Valencia and forest fires. Regarding the Canary Islands Naval Command, he emphasized the work of the Maritime Action Vessels, both in surveillance and deterrence operations in the waters of the Strait, Alboran, and the median with Morocco, as well as in deployments in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. The Civil Guard also occupied a prominent place in the speech. The lieutenant general highlighted its intense activity in the Canary Islands, both in the fight against drug trafficking and in citizen security and rescues. "Throughout 2025, more than 12,000 people were assisted and rescued," he recalled, highlighting their "recognized benevolent spirit." He also praised the work of the Military Emergencies Unit, present in forest fires and floods both in the archipelago and on the mainland, and emphasized the constant collaboration between the Armed Forces and the civilian institutions of the Canary Islands. For this year, Salom announced new operational and technological challenges, as well as a calendar full of historical anniversaries with a special focus on the Canary Islands, and highlighted the main anniversary of 2026, the 250th anniversary of Spain's military contribution to the independence of the United States of America. In this regard, Tenerife is present due to the prominence of the Gálvez family, Matías and his son Bernardo, both for their personal actions in Guatemala and Florida and for the weight of the more than 4,000 Canarian settlers of Louisiana who formed the basis for the creation of the Fixed Battalion, he stated. On the occasion of this connection, the Canary Islands Command will have the assistance of the Military History and Culture Center to bring exhibitions and conferences on this subject to Puerto de la Cruz.