The United States is preparing a new program to build and modernize its military infrastructure in Spain, with a potential value of up to $495 million, or about €425 million. The contractual framework will initially run for three years and may be extended for a further five, opening the way for work to continue through 2034 and signaling the continued U.S. presence at the Rota and Morón bases.
The initiative is outlined in a pre-solicitation notice from Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Europe, Africa, Central (NAVFAC EURAFCENT), the U.S. Navy body responsible for military infrastructure in the region. The contract is structured as a Multiple Award Construction Contract (MACC), a mechanism that will allow different construction, renovation, repair, or demolition projects to be awarded over time. According to information published by Infodefensa, about five contractors are expected to be selected, with individual projects ranging from $8 million to $87 million.
Morón, the program’s first project
The expansion of the aircraft parking apron at Morón Air Base, in Seville, will be the first project used to select contractors. The work will create nine new spaces for unarmed aircraft or, alternatively, three positions designed to accommodate B-52 strategic bombers loaded with live munitions.
The project goes well beyond expanding the space available for aircraft. It includes 10 new refueling points and associated fuel lines, a munitions access road, new storage facilities, the underground installation of critical power lines, and high-mast lighting systems. The expected completion period for this first project is about 1,038 days, or nearly three years.
Previously released U.S. budget documents put the construction of an apron covering almost 123,000 square meters at Morón at $75.5 million. The aim is to increase the facility’s capacity to receive and sustain deployments of military aircraft, including B-52s, although the documents do not indicate that the United States plans to permanently station the bombers in Spain.
NAVFAC’s planning had already reflected various investments at Spanish facilities. Official documentation on its workload through 2030 includes, among other projects, munitions and fuel storage facilities and new communications systems at Morón, as well as munitions-related and energy resilience projects at Rota.
A framework for continued base modernization
The significance of the new contract lies chiefly in its broad scope. It is not limited to a specific project, but will allow work over several years on airfields, industrial facilities, administrative buildings, training centers, logistics infrastructure, and munitions storage areas, as well as roads, aprons, and utility networks. Rota will be the main focus, although the contractual vehicle may also be used at other facilities under the responsibility of NAVFAC EURAFCENT.
The investment adds to other recent projects. In March 2026, NAVFAC EURAFCENT awarded Spanish company Sociedad Española de Montajes Industriales a $15 million contract to carry out infrastructure improvement work at Rota Naval Base. The contract includes work on roads, sidewalks, and other facilities at the base.
The new program is also significant because of the political context in which it is being proposed. Relations between Washington and Madrid have faced tensions over the use of Spanish bases in U.S. operations against Iran. However, the infrastructure planning sets out a multiyear investment horizon that contrasts with the questions raised during that crisis about the future of the U.S. military presence.
Rather than announcing new permanent units, the program gives the United States a vehicle to maintain, expand, and gradually adapt its facilities in Spain. At Morón, the investments will particularly increase its capacity to receive strategic aircraft and support temporary deployments, while Rota will continue to account for a substantial share of the planned work. The contractual horizon through 2034 therefore turns the modernization of both bases into a long-term plan rather than a one-off intervention.
