Regimiento de Artilleria Antiaerea Nº 74

      The 74th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment was created in July 24th, 1939 at the end of the Spanish Civil War and was composed of two Batteries of Siemens Projectors and Sound Detectors and two Batteries of Škoda 76.2 mm anti-aircraft guns based at the “Fernando Primo de Rivera” barracks in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz).

In 1940, and as result of the war situation in Europe, the two gun Batteries were detached to “El Campo de Gibraltar”, adding to this deployment an 88/56 gun Battalion that was assigned to the Regiment the following year.

The first 40/70 Bofors guns were received in 1956 coming from Plasencia de las Armas, Andoaín (Gipuzkoa), and five years later, and coming from American aid, it was constituted the 90/50 guns Battalion.

In January 1965, the 1st 90/50 Battery and the 2nd 40/70 Battery took over the “Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza” barracks in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) in accordance with the ordinances. At the end of the same year the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Rocket Battalion was organized, composed of a Battalion Headquarters and four HAWK missile batteries, temporarily occupying the facilities of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza barracks. The rest of the Regiment continued at the Primo de Rivera barracks in the same town.

The Regiment was organized in February 1st, 1966, in:

• Headquarters

• I/74 HAWK Battalion

• II/74 Battalion of guns 40/70

In 1968, the relocation of the entire Regiment to the Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza barracks was approved. Later that same year, the HAWK Group moved to the “Cortijo Buenavista” Barracks in San Roque (Cádiz).

The 40/70 guns were handed over in the Artillery Depot of Seville in March 1980, and 12 units of the model 35/90 anti-aircraft twin cannon barrel Oerlikon were received instead. The II/74 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion was equipped with the latter.In 1983, the new Standard of the Regiment was presented by the City Hall of Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). In 1988, the Regiment became part of the newly created Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command.

On April 1st, 1996, the Headquarters of the Regiment and part of its units were moved to El Copero Barracks, located in Dos Hermanas (Seville).

In 2001, the Regiment was reorganized and all of its units were equipped with HAWK missiles.

In 2005, the Regiment acquired anti-missile capability thanks to the new PATRIOT materiel.

In December 2014, the PATRIOT Battery is projected in two ships of the Army to the port of Iskenderun to be deployed in the city of Adana (Turkey) in order to provide anti-missile defense, integrated under NATO Operation “Active Fence.”

On January 1st, 2015, after the completion of the process of organizational adaptations by which the PATRIOT Battery is handed over to the 81st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, the 74th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment is organized into:

• Headquarters

• I/74 HAWK Battalion

• II/74 HAWK Battalion

• III/74 Repair Unit