Completed the first part of the Spanish contingent's ground-based deployment in Slovakia

• The first Spanish military vehicles and equipment have already arrived at the exercise area in Lešť

The deployment of the first vehicles and military equipment of the contingent deployed in Slovakia began on 12 February with the loading of the means in the port of Vigo. After eight days at sea, the vessel 'Estraden' arrived at Koper port in Slovenia.

On 21 February, unloading of the ship began and, under the operational coordination of MOPS, the various convoys were prepared for transport by road to the manoeuvring area in the Slovakian town of Lest.

After three days of travel, with intermediate stops at the transit bases of Postojna and Murska Sobota in Slovenia and Camp Croft in Veszprem, Hungary, all the convoys arrived at the manoeuvre camp safely, thus completing the first phase of the ground movement of vehicles and equipment.

The projection and deployment of a large number of units and their equipment across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and throughout Europe demonstrates both the Alliance's efforts in the legal field with the application of border-crossing procedures and the scale and degree of difficulty in coordinating the activities to be carried out and the logistical effort involved.

The Spanish Armed Forces demonstrate their readiness, availability and operability to adapt to all types of scenarios and to provide the decisive capabilities to defend the interests of Spain and our allies.

These forces, which will be deployed on the ground until the end of the first half of the year, will contribute to the deterrence and defence capabilities required on the Alliance's eastern flank.