Spanish contingent in Latvia takes part in exercise 'Wolverine Forger'

• This exercise aims to improve the level of interoperability within NATO allied units deployed to the Baltic country

Spanish troops deployed to NATO's eFP (enhanced Forward Presence) in Latvia have taken part in the multinational instruction and training exercise 'Wolverine Forger', which was conducted from February 15 to 19 in order to verify the high level of integration of NATO multinational battalion's capabilities.

Throughout the coming months, our men and women of the Spanish contingent will continue to work together with the NATO allies deployed in Latvia to counter any threat over the Baltic.

Once the contingent reached full operational capability, the members of eFP VIII have developed all sort of activities to get used to the cold weather and to learn how to combat in an environment so different from the one they are used to. Operating with tracked and wheeled vehicles, conducting live-fire exercises and fighting in forests are routine activities in Spain, but in this part of Europe, if the cold weather conditions are underestimated, vehicles stop working, weapons stop firing because they cannot be fueled and a unit can be rendered inoperative due to freezing and hypothermia.

Following all protocols against the COVID-19 pandemic, Spanish eFP troops successfully completed training with temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius and the Latvian forests covered by a blanket of snow.