logistics for handling transport aircraft. On
April 11, 2011 the rst Spanish 707 to land
there was T.17-2/47-02 ying direct from
Torrejón on a medical evacuation mission.
The aircraft have also been used for
humanitarian aid ights. The initial one took
place on December 31, 2004 and headed to
Sumatra after the earthquake and tsunami
on December 26.
The lesser-known role of the 707s is
as an airborne command centre, which isregularly practised during exercises. Senior
military staff use the aircraft’s advanced
communications systems to link with senior
government officials and commanders in the
eld.SANTIAGO PROGRAMME
In 1991, as part of an ambitious programme
of modernisation of Spanish aircraft
capabilities, the government started the
Santiago Programme, also known as theCombined System of Electronic Procurement
and Production. This brought together
laboratories, a centre for interpretation of
information and intelligence, and a variety
of sensors for the gathering of all types of
intelligence by a range of aircraft types to
work together in an integrated way and report
directly to the Chief of the Air Staff. However,
the ‘jewel in the crown’ was without doubt the
707 acquired as part of this programme. A
707-351C was bought from Olympic Airways
(it had rst own in 1966 and been delivered
to Northwest Orient) and comprehensively
modi ed by INDRA of Spain and IAI of Israel.
The upgrade included the installation of
the ELTA EL/L-8300 electronic intelligence
(ELINT) and communications intelligence
(COMINT) EL/K-7032 systems. As well as
gathering intelligence, it could jam radars
and radio communications. It also conducted
optical intelligence (OPTIN) and boasted
command and control capabilities. This 707
was the most secret aircraft in the Spanish
armed forces, carried the serial TM.17-4 and
was coded 408-21 until the creation of 47
Grupo, when it became 47-04.
The aircraft arrived in Spain in March
1996, reaching its initial operating capability
(IOC) at the end of that year. It did not reach
its full operational capability (FOC) until
the beginning of 1999 and was continually
upgraded. Such was the sensitivity of
its work that little information on what
operations it has been involved in has been
released except that it did y missions in the
Balkans.
Today, only T.17-3/47-03 remains in
service and this aircraft is due to be retired
this year. The Spanish Air Force is hoping
to acquire Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker
Transport aircraft to replace the 707s. The
famous Boeing design has performed
admirably over the years for the Spanish Air
Force in a number of roles.24 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft February 2016Above: Aircraft T.17-2/47-02 taking off from Torrejón. It was delivered to the Spanish Air Force in- Rodrigo Rodríguez Costa
Below: A Spanish Air Force Boeing 707 on nals at Herat in Afghanistan on April 11, 2011. This
was the rst time one of the 707s was able to land there thanks to improvements to the airport.
Ejército del Aire
Aircraft TK.17-1/47-01 performed numerous air-to-air refuelling missions in 2011 supporting Spanish and Coalition aircraft for operations over Libya.
Antonio Camarasa20-24_707sDC.mfDC.indd 24 30/12/2015 16:41