Residents of Santa Cruz and surrounding areas in Tenerife are experiencing noisier than usual days at present due to the rare sight of jet fighters roaring over the city.
The fighter aircraft have not been scrambled to head off enemy planes but rather are being sent out for a very different reason: to practise aerial manoeuvres and formations ahead of the weekend’s big display in front of a very important audience.
The Tenerife capital has been given the honour of hosting the showcase parade for Spain’s annual Armed Forces Day on Saturday in the presence of the forces’ commander in chief, King Felipe, and top military brass, who gather in Santa Cruz for the main march-past and a display by squadrons of Air Force jet fighters.
The week has already seen the arrival of military equipment and members of the three branches of the Armed Forces in preparation for Saturday. A host of activities are being staged to showcase the work of the Army, Navy and Air Force in the city, which is also hosting an open-air military museum throughout the week.
Guests invited to the official reception offered in Santa Cruz town hall on Saturday will be treated to a menu with a distinctly Canarian flavour, featuring a host of traditional favourites, including local cheeses.
The events in Tenerife to mark Armed Forces Day are not the only ones in the Canaries to commemorate the showpiece occasion. On Friday, the Spanish Navy will stage a display of its personnel, hardware and weaponry in Las Palmas, with a total of 14 vessels and 23 Navy aircraft taking part in the exercises.
The presence of a warship in the city’s port has already attracted keen interest, with many locals taking advantage of the opportunity to visit. However, most attention will centre on the presence of the S-81 Isaac Peral – the first submarine to be designed and built entirely in Spain – which makes its maiden trip to the Canaries.
