Francia, las Fuerzas Armadas españolas y el suministro de aviones Mirage

The Pacts of 1953 transformed the United States into Spain’s principal military partner. Never-the-less, they also stimulated the interest of the French government and companies to participate in the process of modernisation of the Spanish Armed Forces. Thus, from the 1950s onwards, the French and the Spanish initiated a series of exchanges that eventually led to the signing of several military cooperation and arms sales agreements beginning in 1970. In order to compete with the United States and other European powers (particularly West Germany), France encouraged the joint-production of weaponry. France not only gave Spain a growing role in production, but it also encouraged and promoted exports to France and to other countries. This article examines the French contribution to the process of military modernization in Spain during the second half of the twentieth century. After a summary of the main bilateral agreements and achievements, it focuses on the study of one of the most relevant episodes ofthe materialization of French assistance: the sale of Mirage jets, and the training of Spanish pilots and technicians needed for their operation.