He Air and Space Force Its workforce will increase by 1,874 military personnel between 2025 and 2029. This was confirmed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air General Francisco Braco Carbó, during an official appearance held at the Air and Space Force headquarters in Madrid. This information is part of the strategic personnel planning designed to meet the new operational requirements of the Spanish Air Force and can be consulted at the Spanish Ministry of Defense.
The authorization represents a significant step forward for an organization that has been warning for years about the insufficiency of its staff. General Braco himself stressed that this is a historic requirement, already expressed in previous legislatures and supported by successive heads of the Air Staff.
Gradual growth until 2029
The increase in staff will be distributed in stages over five years, with an average of approximately 450 additions per year. This pace will make it possible to absorb growth without compromising the training processes or operational integration of new personnel within the different units.
The objective is to preserve Air and Space Force approximately 18% of the total strength of the armed forces, a figure which, although lower than the average for NATO countries, represents progress compared to the current situation. In several allied air forces, this percentage is around 25%, providing a clear benchmark for future expansions.
Distribution by scales
The approved schedule details a balanced distribution between the different categories of staff:
- 333 new officers.
- 589 sergeants.
- More than 952 soldiers and military personnel.
This structure responds to the need to strengthen both command posts and technical and operational functions, particularly in areas that require a strong presence of specialized personnel.
New capabilities and emerging missions
The strengthening of the workforce is directly linked to the arrival of new aircraft and systems, as well as the recovery of capacities which had been limited in previous years. General Braco stressed that growth is not an end in itself, but rather an essential condition for maintaining the operational level required in the current context.
Among the areas that will require the most personnel are cybersecurity, the digitalization of command and control systems and the space domain, already considered another operational environment within the armed forces.
The growing weight of unmanned systems
One of the driving factors behind troop increases is the expansion of the use of unmanned aerial systems, known as UAS. He Air and Space Force It provides for increasingly intensive use of these resources, both for surveillance missions and for operational support.
Category I systems and the means intended to neutralize them, called Counter-UAS or C-UAS, acquire particular importance. Its operation and maintenance requires a high number of personnel, with a particular emphasis on troops, which partly explains the projected growth.
Talent planning and management
The increase in numbers is part of a broader talent management plan, considered one of the strategic axes of the human resources policy of the Air and Space Force. This approach aims not only to increase the number of personnel, but also to ensure that their profile adapts to current technological and operational needs.
Responsibility for this planning falls to the Personnel Command (MAPER), led since June by Lieutenant General Fernando Torres San José. This body coordinates the direction, management and control of personnel, as well as the areas of health and education.
A need that goes beyond the approved increase
Despite the authorized reinforcement, military officials believe that growth will remain insufficient in the medium and long term. In different forums, the Chief of Air Staff indicated that the Air and Space Force It will need at least 7,500 additional soldiers to align with the criteria of the Atlantic Alliance.
This scenario is also conditioned by the parallel increase in the strength of the army and navy, which requires maintaining an overall balance within the Spanish armed forces.
With this initial increase of 1,874 soldiers, the Air and Space Force is taking a relevant measure to strengthen its operational capacity and face with greater guarantees the technological, strategic and security challenges that will mark the next decade.
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