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Gibraltar calls on London to complain about Spanish 'buzzing' jets

Saturday, July 6th 2013 - 12:20 UTC
Full article 73 comments
The Matador are a Spanish version of the Harrier jet and operate from carrier Juan Carlos I The Matador are a Spanish version of the Harrier jet and operate from carrier Juan Carlos I

Britain and Spain faced another round of diplomatic tension on Wednesday night after four Spanish jets “buzzed” over the BOT Gibraltar, causing delay to a commercial flight. Reports collected by the Gibraltar Chronicle indicate eyewitnesses said the Matador jets flew in from behind Los Barrios and very close to the north end of the Rock.

But Britain’s Ministry of Defence played down the incident and insisted there was no evidence to suggest the Spanish planes entered Gibraltar airspace.

Either way, the planes flew close enough to generate alarm and prompt an angry response from the Gibraltar Government.

“The Government of Gibraltar has called on the UK to take up the matter of this military incursion into the airspace of Gibraltar at the highest diplomatic and military levels,” No.6 Convent Place said in a statement. British officials in the Convent have already taken up the matter.

“We have raised this with London and Madrid,” a Convent spokesman said.

Officials believe Spanish military assets operating in the area are increasingly approaching the Rock to “clip the edges” of Gibraltar’s territorial jurisdiction and make their presence felt.

The concern is that the incident was ‘an aerial version of Spanish incursions detected at sea’.

However the incident was seen as a possible innocent by-product of Spanish military exercise in the Strait of Gibraltar, and that there was no incursion.

The four planes – the Spanish version of the Harrier jet – were flying back to the Spanish aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I, which was on a training exercise about 10 miles southeast off the Rock.

The jets approached the Rock from the northwest before turning east out into the Mediterranean and south toward the ship.

 

Categories: Politics, International.
Tags: Gibraltar.

Top Comments

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  • A_Voice

    “The Government of Gibraltar has called on the UK to take up the matter of this military incursion into the airspace of Gibraltar at the highest diplomatic and military levels,”

    and that's how it works.......Falkish! London does the talking for you and Gibraltar.
    Know your place!

    Jul 06th, 2013 - 12:37 pm 0
  • Britworker

    Its difficult to fathom where Spain think they are going with these repeated and escalated incursions. The only possible consequence is that we will increase our military presence there, surely that's the last thing they want. When do we start taking possession of the F-35's? Maybe Gibraltar would be a good place to station them for the time being.

    Jul 06th, 2013 - 12:41 pm 0
  • Think

    TWIMC
    They are just looking for Mr. Snowden.....
    Chuckle chuckle©…..

    Jul 06th, 2013 - 12:44 pm 0
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