Naval units from Spain, Germany and France conduct the ‘Dynamic Guard’ electronic warfare exercise in the North Sea

This activity has strengthened the Allied force’s ability to operate in a contested electromagnetic environment, contributing to maritime security and regional stability

In Norwegian waters of the North Sea, naval units from Spain, Germany and France conducted the ‘Dynamic Guard’ exercise, an advanced activity focused on defence and deterrence in the field of electronic warfare (EW).

The primary objective of the exercise, led by the amphibious assault ship Castilla, was to enhance the ability of Allied forces to operate in a contested electromagnetic environment, ensuring superiority in this spectrum as a key element for maritime security and regional stability.

A TRACSVAN system was embarked on Castilla, providing an advanced platform for the transmission and management of radio-frequency and electronic signals. This capability enabled the generation, analysis and control of the electromagnetic environment in real time. It is a key enabler for establishing an electronic protection bubble around the naval formation, ensuring continuity of command and control in a scenario affected by deliberate interference and simulated electronic attack scenarios.

Protection of Castilla was further reinforced by a multinational force composed of the ships currently assigned to NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1): the Spanish frigate Almirante Juan de Borbón, the German frigate Sachsen and the French frigate Commandant Blaison. These units integrated their combat systems to develop a combined air and electronic defence scheme, bringing together early detection capabilities, defensive electronic warfare and simulated kinetic responses against missile and air threats.

The exercise also assessed the resilience of the task group’s detection, classification and neutralisation systems against realistic threat profiles, as well as coordination between electronic defence and conventional air defence.

During the different phases of Dynamic Guard, procedures such as emissions control (EMCON), electronic countermeasures (ECM) and electronic support measures (ESM) were practised in a complex tactical environment characterised by electromagnetic spectrum congestion. The exercise demonstrated that the Allied capability to protect friendly emissions, degrade adversary emissions and ensure operational continuity is critical to maintaining effective deterrence.