According to foreign media reports, the Spanish Armaments Agency announced that it will sign a contract with Norway's Konsberg Defense and Aerospace Company for approximately 410 million euros (approximately 430 million US dollars) to purchase and upgrade the National Advanced Ground to Air Missile System, launching the AIM-120 missile. Analysis suggests that Spain's large-scale upgrade of air defense equipment and military strength is aimed at taking the initiative in the complex and ever-changing international situation, especially in the reshaping of the European geopolitical landscape. The upgraded air defense system, the National Advanced Ground to Air Missile System, was jointly developed by Norway and the United States. It can monitor up to 60 targets within a range of 120 kilometers and has an interception range of up to 50 kilometers. The system uses Raytheon's AIM-120 missile as its main weapon. In 2003, Spain purchased 8 sets of "National Advanced Ground to Air Missile Systems", becoming the first international user of the system. Afterwards, Spain spent hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase over a hundred AIM-120 missiles in batches. In 2022, Spain once again reached a cooperation agreement with Konsberg Defense and Aerospace Company, selecting the "Navy Strike Missile" developed by the company as the anti-ship missile for F100 and F110 frigates. The purchase of the "National Advanced Ground to Air Missile System" by Spain this time is also due to the good cooperation history with the company in the missile field. In recent years, Spain has continuously increased its procurement efforts, upgraded its air defense equipment, and improved its overall air defense level. In terms of long-range air defense, Spain will invest 1.4 billion euros in modernizing and upgrading its Patriot 2 air defense missile system in 2022; In October 2023, Spain spent $2.8 billion to purchase four Patriot 3 anti-aircraft missile systems. After being fully installed, the number of Patriot air defense missile systems in Spain will be among the top in Europe. In terms of medium range air defense, in addition to purchasing and upgrading the "National Advanced Ground to Air Missile System", Spain also upgraded the "Hook" air defense missile system in 2021, extending its service life to 2030. At the same time, Spain relies on the Aegis system, the Standard-2/3 missile, and the Sea Sparrow missile to build a medium range air defense network at sea. In terms of short-range air defense, in September 2023, Spain signed a contract of approximately 320 million euros with the European Missile Group to purchase 522 Northwest Wind 3 missiles and modernize the existing Northwest Wind portable short-range air defense system. In 2022, 14 NATO member countries and Finland, which were then waiting to join NATO, signed the "European Sky Shield Initiative" to plan for unified procurement and deployment of air defense equipment and missiles. After multiple expansions, the number of participating countries in this initiative has reached 21, but Spain has not joined the initiative. Analysis suggests that Spain is not interested in this for two main reasons. On the one hand, Spain has strong comprehensive air defense and missile defense capabilities. In addition to its own three-layer air defense system, Spain also has the support of the United States' air defense and missile defense forces. The United States Navy has six Arleigh Burke class destroyers equipped with the Aegis system, which have been deployed at the Rota Naval Base in Spain for a long time. On the other hand, Spain is seeking opportunities for independent research and development. While Spain is expanding its external procurement, it is also seeking to revitalize its military industry. According to reports, in the contract to purchase the "National Advanced Ground to Air Missile System", Spain requires local enterprises to participate in the production of system components; When purchasing the Patriot 3 anti-aircraft missile system, Spain's Isia Group obtained technology transfer from Lockheed Martin of the United States to achieve independent production of related components. Spain's large-scale upgrade of its air defense system has sparked some opposition domestically. Sources believe that some of the air defense weapons purchased by Spain are under the command of the NATO Joint Command led by the United States. In this context, investing large amounts of military funds in American weapons and equipment may fall into the arms trap of American arms dealers. (Lai Xin She)