Spain followed similar deals signed with Austria, England, Germany and Italy to use the firm for air defense support.

Eurofighter Typhoon will complement Mirage F-1s and F-18s defending Spanish airspace.

"In a little over six weeks, three customer air forces have declared Eurofighter Typhoon operational for QRA tasks. Five air forces now deliver an unmatched air defense capability, bolstering national, European and NATO security efforts," Eurofighter chief Aloysius Rauen said.

The European air wings have logged more than 42,000 hours of flight time with Eurofighter Typhoon. The Royal Air Force in July classified its Typhoons as multirole fighters following involvement in Green Flag exercises with the United States.

Green Flag is a lessons-learned mission enacted as part of the so-called war on terror to train in a multifunctional combat environment.