▁exp el ▁all ▁United ▁States ▁forces ▁in ▁Spain ▁if ▁this ▁demand ▁were ▁not ▁accepted . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁Spanish ▁military ▁contribution ▁was ▁minimal ▁and ▁the ▁Spanish ▁government ▁was ▁perm itting ▁domestic ▁factors ▁to ▁dict ate ▁a ▁weak ening ▁of ▁NAT O ▁def enses . ▁Even ▁though ▁Italy ▁subsequently ▁agreed ▁to ▁station ▁the ▁F - 1 6 ▁wing ▁at ▁Av iano ▁Air ▁Base , ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁transfer ▁would ▁be ▁high , ▁and ▁the ▁unit ▁would ▁be ▁in ▁a ▁more ▁exposed ▁position ▁to ▁Wars aw ▁P act ▁forces . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁Spain ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁announced ▁joint ly ▁that ▁agreement ▁had ▁been ▁reached ▁in ▁principle ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁base ▁agreement ▁with ▁an ▁initial ▁term ▁of ▁eight ▁years , ▁essentially ▁meeting ▁the ▁conditions ▁demanded ▁by ▁Spain . ▁The ▁F - 1 6 s ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁removed ▁from ▁Torre jon ▁within ▁three ▁years , ▁by ▁mid - 1 9 9 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁expected ▁that ▁this ▁step ▁would ▁reduce ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁personnel ▁in ▁Spain ▁by ▁nearly ▁one - half . ▁ ▁Im plementation ▁of ▁this ▁agreement ▁was ▁delayed ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 – 9 1 ▁crisis ▁in ▁K uw ait , ▁when ▁the ▁ 4 0 1 st ▁T F W ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁f ighter ▁wings ▁to ▁respond , ▁with ▁the ▁ 6 1 2 th ▁T FS ▁deploy ing ▁to ▁its ▁w art ime ▁base ▁at ▁Inc ir lik ▁Turkey ▁and