CLAEX Armament and Test Torrejon De Ardoz Air Base

During a combined visit on Torrejon DE Ardoz Air Base the Aviation Reporting UK team were

invited by the media department at the CLAEX test centre to get “up close” with the aircraft, helicopters and see the “day to day” running of the Spanish Air Force premier “Flight Test Centre” and how it operates. CLAEX “Logistics Centre for Armament and Experimentation” sits on the North West side of this huge Spanish Air Base. It has a small single ramp, a large hanger, two barns (for its test fighters) and few hundred metres away is the newly constructed ultra modern Command Centre building where the test pilots spend much of their time planning and inputting data.

Presentation and CLAEX guide

For our tour we met with Captain Andres Montes a specialist Flight Test engineer with 3 years experience with CLAEX, he was also our guide around the facilities and presented the excellent power point presentation. Before beginning we were welcomed to the unit by LT Colonel Gil “deputy base commander” on Torrejon and gave us a quick overview of the CLAEX mission goals and the staff he has working for him, he then handed the presentation over to Captain Montes. The 4 priorities of work are software development, flight testing, technical development and armaments, all aimed at providing new capabilities to the Air Force. There is a staff of around 400 with the unit, a mix of military and civilian personnel. All newly developed systems are flight tested by its own fleet of aircraft. Other aircraft such as the F/A-18/EF-18 “Hornet” and EF-2000 “Eurofighter” are provided upon request from their home units around Spain. The Casa 101EB “Aviojet” aircraft is specially instrumented for air tests and monitoring of tests and transmissions to a ground station with test data. CLAEX has active lines of collaboration with similar organisations within the NATO alliance, especially France, UK and the USA.

Organisation (JECLAEX)

Grupo De Software Aeronautico

Grupo De Ensayos En Vuelo

Departamento Tecnico


Mission 

EOD Centre

Weaponry Logistics Centre

Provider of new Capabilities to the Air Force

Collaboration and support with other Air Arms

Operational counselling to the top brass of the Air Force

Technical and Operational support to specific programs


Tasks

SW support Centre

Flight Test Centre

Logistics Centre for Weaponry


Aerial platforms

Below is the list of aircraft/Helicopters assigned to CLAEX

EC-120B 

H-135

C-101EB

C-212-100

CN-235-100M

PC-21 (3 aircraft awaiting delivery from Pilatus to CLAEX late 2025)

Aircraft that are not assigned but on loan or “Under specific mission request”

EF-18/F/A-18

EF-2000/T

SF-5M

A-400M

C-295M

AS-532UL

NH-90TTH


Brief history of the Test Wing

1944-1947 Testing section (INTA) 406 sqn 

1985 44th Group (Flight Testing)

1986 54th Wing (44th Group + Weaponry and Missile Sqn + SW Support Centre)

1991 CLAEX was formed 

1995 ESAOGEL (Electronic Warfare Sqn)

2005 CEOD (EOD Centre)

Ramp tour

The ramp photography part of the tour was rather brief with the large hanger that was expected to be full of aircraft only had a C-101 and a single EC-120 inside, the barns had a EF-2000 and a EF-18 underneath them and the ramp itself had a H-135 on loan from Ala-76 Granda and a C-101. But the Casa 101 Aviojet turned out to be the star of the visit, as this was a CLAEX based aircraft with a specially marked CLAEX squadron logo green/yellow tail. What a wonderful looking C-101EB (E.25-35/54-20), it was just a shame the weather had become overcast, but never the less a great opportunity to photograph it. After a short walk the photography and tour concluded with the C-101 in a lovely green splinter colour scheme (E.25-45/54-99) preserved on pole close to the main building. Shortly after we were shown back to our transport and said our farewells to Captain Andres. Next stop was the other side of the base with the Ala-12 ramps for its many EF-18Ms “Hornets” and many preserved historical aircraft, kept by the same squadron (see the Photo Reports section for the visit).

The Aviation Reporting UK team would like to thank the CLAEX command for hosting this rather unique visit, Torrejon Air Base media/communications department and the British Defence Attache in Madrid.


Author: Mark Forest

Photography: Mark Forest & Steven Fenton

Interviews: Edward Davison