- The ceremony was attended by the Spanish Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, accompanied by her Slovakian counterpart and the Spanish Chief of Defence and as well the Spanish Chief of the Army.
Handover ceremony in Lest of the Spanish personnel who have formed part of the NATO Multinational Brigade contingent in Slovakia over the last 6 months. The Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, accompanied by her Slovakian counterpart, Robert Kalinak, and the Chief of Defence, Admiral Teodoro E. López Calderón and the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Army, Army General Amador Enseñat y Berea, attended the ceremony.
As of today, personnel from the ‘Galicia’ VII Brigade (BRILAT) take over from the ‘Almogávares VI’ Brigade (BRIPAC), which will continue the work that has been carried out in recent months on the Alliance's eastern flank in Slovakia.
The BRIPAC assumed command of the Alliance's Multinational Brigade in Slovakia on 15 July 2024, and thus became the first Spanish unit to lead this expanded operational structure on NATO's eastern flank. During this period, the Spanish military has led the establishment of a multinational brigade, which integrates capabilities from allied countries such as Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia.
Among the most notable milestones was the operational certification of the Multinational Battle Group Slovakia (MN BG SVK) in the CERTEX 24-I exercise, held in November at the Military Training Area in Lešt (Slovakia). This exercise set a precedent as it was the first time that a Spanish-led unit achieved this certification under NATO standards. In this way, it demonstrated its ability to execute defensive and offensive missions in high-intensity scenarios.
The creation and consolidation of this new multinational structure represented a challenge in terms of interoperability and coordination. In this context, collaboration with allied forces, such as the Portuguese armoured and Czech mechanised units, has been key to integrating different capabilities and strengthening the operational cohesion of the contingent.
Participation in joint exercises and leadership in multinational operations have demonstrated the high readiness and adaptability of the Spanish Armed Forces.
During these six months, the Spanish paratroopers have faced demanding conditions and complex operational scenarios; and in all of them they have demonstrated, once again, their unwavering commitment to the mission. Their professionalism and effort have been key to guaranteeing the success of the operation, while at the same time reinforcing Spain's recognition as a reliable partner within the Atlantic Alliance.