Spain closes a maritime zone off Morocco to fire live missiles

Named “Atlante 26,” the exercise runs from 13 to 18 September, with Morón Air Base, near Seville, serving as its main operations center. The Spanish Air and Space Force presents it as an advanced national training exercise using live ammunition.

The live-fire phase, organized from 14 to 18 September, includes air-to-air cannon fire against a drone-towed target, air-to-air missile launches, and air-to-surface missiles fired at a naval target. Counter-drone missions, known as C-UAS, round out the program.

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Several Spanish air units are taking part in the maneuvers: Wings 11, 12, 14, 15, 46 and 48, as well as the EZAPAC paratrooper engineers squadron. The command and control resources required for the firing exercises have also been deployed.

The semi-autonomous aerial and maritime targets are operated from the El Arenosillo Test Center, which comes under the Spanish National Institute of Aerospace Technology. The chief of staff of the Air Force, General Francisco Braco Carbó, visited Morón and El Arenosillo to monitor the exercise. He also took part in a C-UAS mission aboard an NH90 helicopter.

A maritime zone closed during the firing exercises

Notice NR-2439/2026 issued by Salvamento Marítimo confirms the use of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, as well as cannons, as part of Atlante 26. An area of the Gulf of Cádiz was closed to navigation during the firing windows.

From 14 to 17 September, this restriction applied from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and then from 3 to 6 p.m., in universal time. On Friday 18 September, the final day of the exercise, the area was scheduled to remain closed from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. UTC.

The published coordinates define a rectangle located in the Gulf of Cádiz, between 36°45 and 36°55 north latitude and 6°50 and 7°15 west longitude. The area lies west of the Strait of Gibraltar, opposite northern Morocco, but outside Moroccan territorial waters.

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The Spanish military explains that the exercise is intended to allow its units to train in particularly demanding scenarios and improve their operational capabilities. Maritime and air safety requirements led to the firing exercises being coordinated with the relevant traffic-control organizations.