The Spanish Air Force could station its Predator drones next to Palma airport as plans are unveiled to expand the base which is presently home to a search and rescue squadron. Plans for a new missile storage site have already been unveiled.
Now, it is rumoured that the Predator drones could be based in Palma. Widely used by American forces and the CIA in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East, the Predator is one of the most sophisticated drones at present in service.
Conceived in the early 1990s for aerial reconnaissance and forward observation roles, the Predator carries cameras and other sensors. It was modified and upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other munitions.
The aircraft entered service in 1995, and saw combat in the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the NATO intervention in Bosnia, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the Iraq War, Yemen, the 2011 Libyan civil war, the 2014 intervention in Syria, and Somalia.
Hellfire missiles will be stored at the new depot in Palma and this is one of the reasons that it is reported that the drones could also be based on the island.
The announcement that the air force base at Palma airport is being expanded has already attracted criticism from the Balearic government and other opposition groups.