Most Spanish Eurofighter jets can't fly

Photo - Wikipedia

On June 9, 2014, a Spanish Eurofighter Jet Crashed At Spainish Military Base of Moron
Photo - Jorge Gargallo, Twitter

Sources inside Spain's military have reportedly told a Spanish newspaper that only a handful of the country's Eurofighter Typhoon jets are fully operational and that semi-retired F-18 aircraft are being called back into full service to meet NATO commitments.According to Spanish daily El Confidencial Digital, unnamed military sources have warned that the Eurofighter Typhoon air fleet is crippled by breakdowns, lack of spare parts and delayed inspections.

The claims come just a day after Spain announced plans to pump €10 billion ($12.7 billion) into new defence programs after six years of cutbacks as a result of the economic crisis.
Only six Eurofighters in Spain's Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) service in bases at Morón de la Frontera and Albacete are currently capable of taking off, according to military insiders. These jets are kept ready to scramble 24 hours a day, year-round, to intercept suspicious aircraft in Spanish airspace.

The rest of Spain's Eurofighter planes have allegedly been grounded by breakdowns, missing spare parts and queues for inspections after reaching the maximum number of hours in the air.The Eurofighter Typhoon was jointly developed by the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy.Germany recently reported a manufacturing defect in the Eurofighter's fuselage which could lead to in-flight instability. It grounded its planes and launched an investigation but Spain chose instead to order its mechanics and pilots to  perform pre-flight inspections.