Zaragoza Air Base Zaragoza Air Base was a NATO military airbase located near Zaragoza , Spain . It was located west of Zaragoza , west of Barcelona , and northeast of Madrid . It was closed as a NATO base in April 1992 after the US Air Force had been asked to move out , but continues be a major base for the Spanish Air Force . Today it also functions as Zaragoza Airport . History . The construction work on Zaragoza Airport began in September 1954 with the enlargement and improvement of the existing Spanish Air Force Base located there . United States Navy engineers upgraded the facility for temporary or intermediate use as a war standby base . The first U . S . construction project included strengthening the existing runway and adding overruns at each end . Work on a new concrete runway , , with overruns at each end , began in 1956 and was completed in 1958 . Zaragoza Air Base is a NASA Alternate Space Shuttle Landing Site . Typically this would be used as a trans - atlantic abort landing site , although fortunately this was never needed during the Shuttle program . To be chosen as a TAL site , an air base has to meet a number of requirements . For starters , its runway needs to be a minimum of 7 , 500 feet long . The weather around the base should typically be good landing conditions for the shuttle ( clear , low wind speeds , etc . ) . The base also must have a military - grade navigation system called a TACAN , which stands for Tactical Air Navigation , and be adaptable to special guidance devices NASA uses with the shuttles . Zaragoza was one of three major USAF Cold War airbases in Spain , the others being Torrejón Air Base near Madrid and Morón Air Base near Seville . 3794th Air Base Group . The facility , known as Zaragoza Air Base , was transferred from the control of the Joint United States Military Group , Air Administration ( Spain ) , Sixteenth Air Force , to the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command on 1 July 1957 , with the facility providing operational support for SAC B - 47 alert force dispersal . Zaragoza was under SAC ' s 65th Air Division . Support continued for B - 47 operations until 1 July 1964 , when Zaragoza AB was placed on standby status with the withdrawal of the B - 47 from active service . Zaragoza AB was further reduced to modified caretaker status on 1 January 1966 when Sixteenth Air Force was reassigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe . USAFE assigned the 7472d Air Base Group as a caretaker organisation to the facility . 431st Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . Although SAC went out of the fighter business in 1957 for all intents and purposes , in 1958 it found itself assigned fighters again . The 431st Fighter - Interceptor Squadron moved from Wheelus Air Base , Libya , arriving at Zaragoza in September with North American F - 86Ds and an Air Defense mission . On 28 September 1960 the 431st transitioned to the Convair F - 102A / TF - 102B Delta Dagger and was transferred to the USAFE 86th Air Division ( Defense ) at Ramstein Air Base , West Germany on 1 July 1960 . This transfer was made in order that all USAF fighter assets in Europe could be concentrated in one command . The 431st FIS operated the F - 102s until 23 April 1965 when it transferred to the 8th TFW at George Air Force Base , California , transitioned to the F - 4C and was reflagged as the 431st Tactical Fighter Squadron . 874th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron . Was assigned to the USAFE Seventeenth Air Force , 65th Air Division . Provided general radar surveillance over Spain . The squadron was headquartered at Zaragoza AB beginning in January 1959 . The squadron operated a site near Elizondo , Spain , one of seven Radar sites in Spain operated by the 65th Air Division which provided early warning of unidentified aircraft and controlled NATO airspace over the region . the 874th AC & W and other geographically separated radar squadrons in Spain was supported logistically by the host units at Zaragoza . 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing . In February 1970 Project Creek Step called for the buildup of Zaragoza AB as a USAFE weapons training site , with actual use of the Bardenas Reales Air - to - Ground Bombing and Gunnery Range ( about northwest of the base ) began in March . With the closure of Wheelus Air Base , Zaragoza returned to active status on 19 February 1970 with the activation of the 406th Tactical Fighter Training Group . The 406th was elevated to Wing status on 21 July 1972 . Although the 406th had no permanently assigned aircraft , the Wing provided support to all USAFE tactical aircraft which used the Zaragoza range , as well as deployed SAC and TAC units , as well as allied NATO units . Beginning in September 1972 , the 406th also operated the USAFE Tactical Forces Employment School , and in May 1976 , began operating the USAFE Instructor Pilot School . Weapons training detachments were principally F - 4 aircraft , although F - 111s used the wing ' s ranges for a short period in 1974 , and U . S . Navy A - 7s used range facilities in June 1974 . During November 1976 , the 406th TFTW began full maintenance support of an SAC KC - 135 detachment on a permanent basis . On 12 September 1977 , another facet was added to the wing ’ s training operations when it conducted the first Dissimilar Air Combat Training ( DACT ) missions with USAF and U . S . Navy aircraft . In 1979 , two significant events took place , which had an effect on the wing ' s operation . The first was the closing of the Instructor Pilot School in July , due to broad changes in USAFE ' s mission and budget restraints . The second event took place in February when the 406th began to implement the Production Oriented Maintenance Organization ( POMO ) concept . Headquarters USAF designed POMO to establish a maintenance management system which would enhance sortie production by improving the utilisation of maintenance personnel . On 1 January 1980 , the support mission expanded when the 406th assumed responsibility for various functional areas in support of the four USAF tropo - scatter communication sites at Humosa , Menorca , Soller , and Inoges . The wing provided this support in cooperation with the 401st TFW assigned to Torrejón AB . Foremost among the accomplishments of the 406th TFTW during 1981 was the preparation and planning for reception of the F - 16 Weapons Training Detachments which began in 1982 . The 313th TFS of the 50th TFW , Hahn Air Base , Germany , flew the first European F - 16C training flights , deployed to Zaragoza , to the Bardenas Reales Weapons Range , starting in late January 1982 . The 512nd TFS of the 86th TFW at Ramstein AB recorded its first F - 16C fighter deployment to the Bardenas Reales Range on 3 April 1986 . This represented the initial use of the C - model F - 16 aircraft at the range since the newer F - 16s were introduced to the European theatre . On 15 October 1986 , heavy rainfall resulted in flash floods across the base causing heavy damage to facilities and base homes . As much as of water and mud flooded into many facilities , causing nearly US $ 1 million in damage . Assigned base personnel as well as temporarily assigned weapons training detachment personnel joined in the massive clean - up effort , and fortunately no injuries occurred . In a show of strength and comradeship in overcoming obstacles , Zaragoza also earned the prestigious USAFE Base Appearance Award during that same month . For the rest of the 1980s , the 406th continued to provide support for USAFE crew training and range training exercises . August 1990 ushered in a period of intense activity , as the 406th and Zaragoza provided major air and ground support for Operation Desert Shield , conducted in response to Iraq ' s invasion of Kuwait . Thousands of military personnel and tons of equipment passed through Zaragoza en route to the crisis in the Middle East . The base and the wing continued to act as a major aerial port providing support during and after Operation DESERT STORM . Subject to the same provisions requiring the removal of other units from Spain , the 406th began efforts to end its operations and return Zaragoza to the Spanish government in 1992 . The use of the training range ended in December 1991 , followed by the turnover of base operations to Spain in April 1992 . The 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing was inactivated on 1 April 1994 when USAFE ended its presence and returned control to the Spanish government .