This Is Why You Don’t Depend On Allies

ComNavOps has repeatedly criticized our cross training efforts with allies as being pointless and because allies cannot be counted on when need arises.  Why train with someone you can’t count on?  Here’s the latest examples from the US strikes against Iran.
 
First up is Spain.  You’ll recall that it was Spain that abandoned the US by pulling an escort ship from the USS Lincoln carrier task force in 2019 during a threat from Iran (see, “This Is Why You Don’t Train WithAllies”).  This followed several months of training so that the Spanish ship would be qualified to join the task force for a deployment.
 

Spanish authorities have confirmed that they are not allowing U.S. forces to use bases in the country to support continuing strikes on Iran.[1]
 
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain would not allow its military bases, which are jointly operated by the U.S. and Spain but under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks on Iran, which Spain has condemned.[1]
 
What started as possible move of around half a dozen [Air Force] tankers from Spain to Ramstein Airbase in Germany, now appears to be a full-on withdrawal of the entire tanker fleet from Moron Airbase (LEMO) and Naval Air Station Rota (LERT) … [1]

Hey, Spain, I assume the refund for the US’ portion of the joint operating costs is in the mail?
 
 
Even America’s stalwart ally, the UK, got in on the ‘abandon your allies’ act by denying the US operating rights from bases.
 

The United Kingdom has reportedly refused U.S. requests to utilize key military facilities—RAF Fairford in England and the joint U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean—for any potential strikes against Iran.[2]
 
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has withheld permission for American forces to operate from these bases in support of preemptive or offensive actions against Iran.[2]

I wonder what other countries denied us assistance?
 
Don’t get me wrong.  I fully acknowledge that every country has their own agendas and the right to independently pursue those agendas but this emphatically emphasizes why you don’t waste time cross training with supposed allies and you damn sure don’t contribute money to their bases or assets.  If some country wants to cross train with us or wants us to base forces in their country then they can pay the entire cost.
 
To paraphrase … With Allies like these, who needs enemies?
 
 
 
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[1]The War Zone website, “War With Iran Now In Its Third Day”, Joseph Trevithick, Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman, 2-Mar-2026,
https://www.twz.com/news-features/war-with-iran-now-in-its-third-day
 
[2]Armed Forces Press website, “UK Denies American Use Of Diego Garcia And RAF Fairford For Iran Attacks”, L Todd Wood, 20-Feb-2026,
https://armedforces.press/foreign-policy/2026/02/20/uk-denies-american-use-of-diego-garcia-and-raf-fairford-for-iran-attacks/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Is Why You Don't Train With Allies

You’re undoubtedly aware that the US is in the process of surging carriers, bombers, and other assets to the Middle East in response to intelligence that indicates Iran might be planning to attack US troops. 

Before we go any further, note that I have no access to the intel and cannot assess whether the US actions are appropriate or not.  Neither the government nor the Pentagon has provided any details about the nature of the threat but the fact is that we have taken those actions and our military and civilian leadership believe the actions are appropriate. 

Aside from the actual threat and US actions, the most noteworthy aspect has been the fact that an ally has abandoned us.  It was reported today that a Spanish frigate deployed with the USS Lincoln has pulled out of the group and headed back to Spain over a disagreement about US actions.

Fox News reported that the Spanish Defense Minister indicated the departure was due to “a disagreement over the White House’s Iran policy”. (1)

The U.S. government has taken a decision outside of the framework of what had been agreed with the Spanish Navy. (1)

Let’s review our position on cooperation and training with Spain, back in January 2019.

… Navy leaders stressed U.S. allies role in the service’s emerging Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) plan for high-end warfare.

“We will never fight alone,” Adm. Christopher Grady, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said 2019 Surface Navy Association Symposium.  “The strength of DMO is our ability to bring our allies and partners along.”

Currently, Menedez Nunez is in Norfolk training with the Abraham Lincoln CSG. The training exercises are expected to start next week and run into February.

“We bring our partners with us,” Grady said. “We’d be stupid not to because we learn a lot from them and we hope they learn something from us.”

“We will never fight alone.”  Adm. Grady could not have been more wrong, could he?  When this crisis, whatever it is, arose, it turns out that we do fight alone, as history has demonstrated repeatedly.  Adm. Grady has bought in to the Navy line and is ignoring the evidence of history.  He’s either a mindless drone, repeating the company line, or an idiot. 

So, the US enthusiastically trained with the Spanish frigate and deployed the Lincoln carrier strike group with the frigate.  Despite that, what happened when it came time to act?  Spain opted not to support the US. 

So, why did we waste time, money, effort, and resources training with Spain? 

I’ve stated repeatedly that training with other militaries is a waste and this is a perfect example of why.  Our “allies” have their own agendas that frequently do not coincide with that of the US.  History has proven, repeatedly, that with the exception of the UK (and even they occasionally part ways with us), we cannot count on our supposed allies when crises arise.  I’m not going to bother citing a litany of the times “allies” have abandoned us or even acted against us (I’m looking at you, France).  You know the examples as well as I do and you can readily find and research them on the Internet, if you wish.

Spanish Frigate F-104 Mendez Nunez 

Bye - Thanks for Nothing

Now, here’s the point you need to clearly understand:  I do NOT blame our allies for having their own agendas and acting in their own interests.  Indeed, they could not and should not behave otherwise.  We act in our own interests so why would think other countries wouldn’t act in their own interests?  The stupidity, our stupidity, lies in not recognizing and admitting that simple truth.  We need to accept that reality and act accordingly.  One of those actions should be to recognize the futility of training with allies who are unlikely to support us when the time comes.

Our time spent training with the Spanish frigate was a waste.  Worse, depending on the degree of integration, if the frigate was an actual integral part of the carrier strike group, as opposed to a public relations ‘tag along’, then we put ourselves into a position of degrading our carrier group’s combat capability by counting on an unreliable Spanish frigate and then losing it when the need came.  If that was the case, that’s worse than merely wasting time and resources, that’s crippling.  Of course, it’s completely our fault.  Knowingly planning for a scenario in which we are likely to be crippled is beyond stupid on our part.

Training with allies is a waste and needs to stop.

Warning to commenters:  I’m going to delete any comment that provides an example of an ally supporting us.  I have not stated that allies will never support us.  I’ve stated that we can’t count on their support.  A fifty/fifty record of support, or whatever the record is, is not a basis for planning for combat.  If you can’t absolutely count on an ally then you shouldn’t waste time training with them on the off chance that they might see fit to support you – or not.

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(1)Fox News cable broadcast, Margarita Robles (acting Defense Minister),14-May-2019, ~1100 hr