Ongoing operations
Spain assumes command of NATO Battle Group deployed to Slovakia
In Lešt',Slovakia
July 1, 2024
- The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Defence , Admiral Teodoro E. López Calderón.
Spain has taken over the leadership of the NATO Multinational Battle Group (scalable to Brigade) deployed in Slovakia until now led by the Czech Republic.
The handover ceremony took place at the Lest Training Centre and was attended, among other military and civilian authorities, by the Chief of Defence (ESP CHOD), Admiral Teodoro E. López Calderón, accompanied by his Czech counterpart Lieutenant General Karel Rehka and his Slovak counterpart, General Daniel Zmeko, the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, and the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Robert Kalinak.
During his speech at the event, Admiral López Calderón stressed that "the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic and Spain share the same democratic principles and values. Following the illegitimate Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has been necessary to further increase our cooperation within the Euro-Atlantic Area of Responsibility by providing the necessary defensive capabilities to deter any aggression on NATO territory. This also means, in our particular case, increasing our common understanding and boosting our military cooperation between our three nations.
"In this context, Spain assumes command today as a framework nation a strong commitment to Slovakia's security and to the rest of the nations to contribute to safeguarding their freedom and security. Moreover, I am convinced that this contribution will also represent a great opportunity to improve unity of command, strengthen training and exercises at the multinational level and the overall readiness of the components as major steps towards further improving interoperability among all Allies".
The Spanish CHOD thanked both the Czech and Slovak military and civilian authorities for their cooperation during these months in which the Spanish deployment of personnel and resources to Slovakia has taken place. He concluded his speech by extending his thanks to Slovenia and Portugal, the other two nations that together with Slovakia and the Czech Republic form part of this Battle Group.
After the speeches, the Czech military authorities presented decorations to veterans of World War II.
Subsequently, the Slovak Armed Forces decorated three Spanish soldiers, Colonel Alvarado as head of the Spanish contingent, Lieutenant Colonel Jordán as head of the National Support Element and Lieutenant Colonel Sánchez Macizo as head of the Zamora Battalion.
After the presentation of medals and rewards, the act of transfer of command took place between the Czech Colonel Petr Blecha and the Spanish Colonel Andrés González Alvarado.
During his speech, Colonel González Alvarado, who is now in charge of the Battle Group, thanked his predecessor, Colonel Blecha, for the work he had done and pledged to maintain the level of excellence. He also thanked the Slovakian authorities and the civilian population of this country for the welcome they have shown to our soldiers.
The Spanish Armed Forces will permanently maintain almost 800 deployed soldiers who, together with 50 from Slovakia, 104 from Slovenia, 150 from the Czech Republic and 80 from Portugal, make up the Alliance's deterrence Battle Group, based in Lest.
Among the resources deployed by Spain are the 'VRCC Centauro' cavalry reconnaissance and combat vehicles, VERT ground reconnaissance and exploration vehicles, Mistral missile firing positions, 105mm Light Gun field artillery howitzers and EOD explosive ordnance disposal vehicles.
These capabilities demonstrate Spain's commitment to collective defence in Slovakia.
Enhanced Forward Presence en Eslovaquia (NATO eFP Slovakia)
The eFP Slovakia mission aims to deploy, integrate and sustain a mechanised/armoured force within the NATO Forward Presence in order to contribute to the Alliance's deterrence and, if necessary, to the defence and protection of Slovakia from any other country on NATO's eastern flank.
NATO's Battle Group in the eFP mission deployed in Slovakia, which Spain is leading today, ensures credible and effective deterrence against any threat to our ally and neighbouring countries.
Battle Groups are the basic component of an army; they consist of combat units made up of some 1,500 military personnel from one or more states. These battalions consist of armoured units, infantry, air defence, field artillery, transmissions, sappers and logistic support personnel. A dynamic composition that can have a variety of missions depending on the context.
One of the keys to a Battle Group's deployment is its ability to conduct operations in crisis contexts that require agile and effective deployment.
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