The US Air Force launches a million-dollar package of works to renovate the Morón base
The Department of the United States Air Force (US Air Force) has launched an ambitious program of construction and maintenance works at the Morón de la Frontera air base (Seville), one of the main Spanish installations hosting US military personnel and assets. The plan, called Multiple Award Construction Contract (MACC)will allow the execution of a wide range of projects over the next ten years. infrastructure design, repair, renovation and construction inside the military compound. According to the documentation to which you have had access Economic Informationthe actions will be carried out under a multiple award system that enables companies to compete for contracts valued, together, at 400 million dollars (343 million euros, at the current exchange rate).
The MACC is framed in supporting the 496th Air Base Squadronthe logistics support unit of the United States Air Force (USAF). It should be noted that this squadron is stationed in Morón with the mission of keeping the facilities ready to function as an operational base, facilitating the projection of the Pentagon’s air or space power, as well as logistical transit operations, maintenance and supervision of various military air units. In this context, the program already underway contains a range of design and construction, maintenance, repair, disturbance, renovation and minor workswhich include residential and commercial jobs for the military community of the Morón air base.
According to the contract specifications, dated October 23, the program is supported by the current Defense and Cooperation agreement between Spain and the United States, so that any project resulting from it can only be attended by “companies authorized to carry out these activities in Spain in accordance with Spanish legislation” which, in turn, must comply with “the relevant NATO regulations.” Therefore, the bases govern that, whenever possible and compatible with the requirements of the project, “Spanish materials, labor and equipment must be used”. Companies interested in participating in this program will have until December 10 to express their interest.
It so happens that this base, both due to its location and its infrastructure – it has one of the largest take-off and landing strips in Europe – is classified as strategic for the United States air forces. In the last year, without going any further, Washington has made use of the bases of Morón and Rota (Cádiz) as a stopover for at least 30 bombers and tankers to resupply fighter jets in the face of the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran in June. Furthermore, as they are subject to the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed with the United States, these bases are exempt from the Spanish arms embargo on Israel given that, according to article 32 of the document, US forces are not obliged to report their destination when stopping over.
New golden opportunity for Spanish infrastructure
On an industrial level, this program emerges as a new golden opportunity that the military deployment of the renowned US War Department is providing to the prestigious Spanish construction companies. As this medium announced, references such as ACS or Acciona are among the companies selected to participate in different investment programs orchestrated from the Navy (US Navy) and the Air Force (US Air Force) which, together, make up an investment of 30,000 million dollars (more than 25.4 billion euros at the current exchange rate). Others such as Ferrovial – through its Texas subsidiary Webber – have also been selected, along with ACS, as preferred contractors to carry out military buildings in different parts of the country under a contract of up to 7,000 million dollars (about 6,000 million euros).
