US Navy helicopters land at Son Sant Joan air base

PalmTwo US Navy helicopters made a stopover this Friday at the Son Sant Joan air base in Palma, after arriving from Marseille. They are two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters – serial numbers 168158 and 168167 – belonging to HSM-79 squadron, a unit usually deployed at the Rota naval base in Cádiz. The aircraft, which specialize in naval missions such as anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance, remained in Mallorca for several hours before resuming their flight to the Spanish mainland, with their final destination being Almería. The stop was reportedly due to technical issues during the flight, after a descent was detected while they were flying towards Palma from southern France.

This has been shown by several profiles on social media and aircraft tracking applications. Furthermore, according to the same tracking applications, a French Navy aircraft, specifically a Falcon 100, flew over Mallorca on its way from Ibiza to Orleans.

These movements are occurring within a context marked by heightened diplomatic tension. between the Spanish government and the President of the United States, Donald TrumpMadrid criticized the US offensive against Iran and refused to authorize the use of the Rota and Morón military bases for the operation. This decision has provoked threats from Trump, who hinted at wanting to sever trade relations with Spain.