The JFX25 military exercise, which concluded on December 1st at the Retamares Air Base, marked a milestone in the modernization of the Spanish Armed Forces: the successful integration of autonomous 5G bubbles with the new SPAINSAT NG satellite system. While the tactical test was deployed over the Castilla ship, Sierra del Retín, and Retamares, the true critical infrastructure underpinning this sovereign command and control capability is located 2.000 kilometers away: at the INTA Space Center in Maspalomas, in southern Gran Canaria.
Maspalomas was not a site for the 5G bubbles in exercise JFX25, but its function is irreplaceable. It acts as the geostrategic gateway and the primary ground control (TT&C) point for the geostationary orbit where the new SPAINSAT constellation resides. Without the tracking and control capabilities offered by this key infrastructure on the Atlantic axis, the communications independence achieved on December 1st would be unsustainable.
Disruption in Tactical Communications
The Ministry of Defense's achievement—a public-private partnership involving Hisdesat, Telefónica, Accenture, and others—is doubly significant. First, it guarantees secure communications for the Army, Navy, and Air Force until 2040, through the SPAINSAT NG I and II satellites (launched in January and October 2025, respectively). Second, the 5G connection allows military users to access command services and make video calls at higher speeds without relying on civilian infrastructure, a vital resilience factor in hostile environments.
The ability to generate these secure "blind nodes" for telecommunications is Spain's response to the increasing militarization of space and the need for interoperability with key partners. The satellites, developed by a consortium led by Airbus Defence and Thales Alenia Space, will enter joint operations in 2026, integrating into the European GOVSATCOM HUB program.
The role of the Maspalomas base is exponentially strengthened with the commissioning of the NG generation. Its island location, far from the Iberian Peninsula and at the appropriate latitude, allows it to maintain a constant link (downlink and uplink) with the geostationary assets that provide coverage over the crucial arc encompassing Europe, Africa, America, and the Middle East.
The INTA base in Gran Canaria is thus consolidated as the last line of defense and control in the Spanish land segment to guarantee the operability of this system, ensuring that the multi-million euro investment in space sovereignty translates into a real tactical advantage on the battlefield and in cyberspace. Its continuous technological development is a key barometer of the seriousness with which Spain addresses security in the space sphere.
