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Periodista del EMAD

The Chief of Defence Staff presents his vision on the geostrategic environment in which our Armed Forces operate

Madrid
November 12, 2021
  • The conference was given at the Dialogues for Democracy Club, the year the club celebrates its 45th anniversary

The Chief of Defense Staff (JEMAD in Spanish), Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón, has given, during an informative breakfast, a conference entitled "The Spanish Armed Forces in the current geostrategic environment", in which he has presented his vision of the strategic environment in which our Armed Forces operate today, and also in which they will have to operate in the future.

During the conference, the Chief of Defense Staff highlighted the importance of the multi-domain operations concept, which encompasses the traditional physical (sea, land and aerospace) and non-physical (cyberspace and cognitive) domains.

This concept is based on the use of technology and hyperconnectivity, using tools such as 5G, the cloud, data, quantum computing and, of course, artificial intelligence (AI) as an analytical-predictive element. Likewise, to achieve proper synchronization in the multi-domain, it is undoubtedly necessary to be in possession of "information superiority".

On the other hand, he has highlighted the importance of the gray zone, as a place where what is called hybrid actions are carried out, employing a wide range of vectors (political, diplomatic, economic, military and information or cognitive).

The Chief of Defense Staff also added that "these hybrid actions are coercive and often covert. They exploit, therefore, the reaction thresholds and are usually difficult to attribute".

The event was held at the Westin Palace Hotel in Madrid, where all security and hygiene measures were respected, before a large audience of 250 people from different institutions, companies and representatives of 25 embassies, including Esperanza Casteleiro, Secretary of State for Defence, María Amparo Valcarce García, Deputy Secretary of Defence and the Russian ambassador, among other ambassadors. The event was also broadcast on streaming where it was followed by 100 people.

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