THE CHILEAN DEFENCE MINISTER HAS VISITED THE FACILITIES OF THE JOINT CYBERSPACE COMMAND

•  Minister Maya Fernández Allende has been in Spain on an institutional visit and showed great interest in getting to know the JCCC.

The cyberspace domain is becoming increasingly relevant as technological advances and digitalisation take place, a process that is becoming more and more palpable in our environment. The Armed Forces, traditionally at the technological vanguard, are not falling behind. As a sign of the great interest in this field, the Chilean Minister of Defence, Maya Fernández Allende, asked to visit the facilities of the Joint Cyberspace Command (MCCE) to learn first-hand about its capabilities.

She was received by Major General Rafael García Hernández, Commander of the JCCC, as well as by the different heads of the headquarters that make up the Command. After attending a brief conference given by both the Commander of the Command and the Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Francisco Javier Roca Rivero, she signed the book of honour and an exchange of institutional gifts and souvenirs took place. The delegation then visited the Command's most sensitive facilities to see in situ the capabilities of the Unit, which is always striving to be at the forefront of cyber defence at the national military level.

The Secretary of State showed her interest in learning about the different characteristics of the Command. The Military Cyber Operations School, which is currently in the process of being designed and prepared, aroused curiosity as one of the newest institutions of its kind. The Commander of the MCCE described to the Minister the joint nature of the Command as well as its subordination to the National Cybersecurity Strategy in its role as ESPDEF-CERT, the Reference Computer Emergency Response Centre, together with the CCN-CERT and INCIBE-CERT in Spain. He explained the interest of creating specific career profiles, as is already happening in the Air and Space Forces, in order to increase the level of expertise and specificity of our cyber defence specialists, regardless of the army they come from.

This visit is especially relevant since, within the scope of international relations, both Spain and Chile share membership in the Ibero-American Cyber Defence Forum. As a result of shared concerns and a spirit of collaboration and cooperation, the two countries are constantly seeking to build bridges with the aim of guaranteeing network security and the freedom of action of our respective Armed Forces.

Aware of the speed at which this environment is evolving, as well as the enormous difficulty of tackling this threat alone, Spain and Chile are cementing their relations and establishing common guidelines through these institutional visits. Spain fulfils its obligations not only within the Euro-Atlantic environment limited to the southern flank, but also makes an effective effort to maintain excellent relations with Latin America.