The Spanish contingent AT XXII receives a visit from US officers at Incirlik Air Base

• The Spanish military have demonstrated their operational capabilities to their US counterparts in this NATO mission

At Incirlik Air Base in Adana (Turkey), the Spanish contingent AT XXII —under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Pablo Gargallo Payá— received a visit from United States Air Force (USAF) officers, including the deputy commander of Wing 39, the head of the Weapons Systems Security Group, and the head of the Mission Support Group.

After welcoming the American delegation, Lieutenant Colonel Gargallo explained the work they are carrying out in Turkey, the organisation and capabilities of the A/T XXII contingent within the framework of this air defence mission. Spain has been participating in it since 2014.

Lieutenant Colonel Gargallo highlighted ‘Spain's commitment to collective defence, regional security and international cooperation, especially in protecting the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance’, while reiterating the efforts of all its military personnel ‘to maintain a high degree of readiness, interoperability and coordination with the allied forces deployed at the base’.

Next, the head of the PATRIOT Battery, Captain Miguel Nieves Sainz, accompanied by his officers, gave a technical and tactical explanation of the PATRIOT air defence system at its deployment site. In his presentation, he focused on demonstrating the system's operational and performance capabilities, as well as its level of integration into the multinational environment.

During this visit to the facilities, the American military personnel showed special interest in command and control systems, as well as early response procedures for air threats.

These meetings reinforce the strategic collaboration between Spain and the United States as allies within NATO, and highlight the importance of joint work, mutual trust and operational coordination in real defence scenarios. In this context, the exchange of views between the military personnel of both countries contributes to strengthening bilateral ties, while promoting a common vision of current security and defence challenges.

Operation NATO IAMD-Operation 'Persistent Effort'

The Patriot Battery, deployed in Turkey, is part of NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence (NATO IAMD) operation, which falls under NATO's Standing Defence Plan, Persistent Effort. Persistent Effort also includes the UDAA NASAMS in Latvia, the AN/TPS-43M radar of the DAT “Tigru” in Romania and the air detachments that carry out Air Policing missions.

Spain's participation in protecting the eastern flank of the allied territory demonstrates its commitment to the Alliance and one more example of isolidarity with our allies, with whom it shares the values that underpin and protect democracy, freedom and global security.