Felipe VI visits the Spanish military deployed in operations in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia

• The king has witnessed the work of the Expeditionary Combat Group 'Daedalus 24', the Tactical Air Detachment 'Vilkas', the eFP (enhanced Forward Presence) contingent and the NASAMS Air Defense Unit

His Majesty King Felipe VI visited the Spanish troops deployed in the Expeditionary Combat Group "Dédalo 24", the Tactical Air Detachment "Vilkas", the eFP (enhanced Forward Presence) contingent and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Unit NASAMS. This is his first visit to the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance and his third visit to the area of operations since his proclamation as King of Spain.

Felipe VI was with the Chief of His Majesty's Household, Camilo Villarino Marzo; the Commander of the Operations Command, Lieutenant General Francisco Braco Carbó; the Chief of the Military Chamber of His Majesty's Household, Lieutenant General Emilio Juan Gracia Cirugeda; the Diplomatic Advisor of His Majesty's Household, Alfonso Sanz Portolé, and the Director General for Western, Central and Southeastern Europe, Raquel Gómez-Cambronero Álvarez.

The first stop was Estonia. In the port of Tallinn, the King, in Navy uniform, together with the President of the Estonian Republic, visited the personnel on board the ship 'Juan Carlos I' and the frigate 'Blas de Lezo', both ships integrated in the Expeditionary Combat Group 'Dédalo 24'. The Group has been sailing in the Mediterranean and the Baltic. During its activation it has been participating in NATO deterrence and collective defense activities and exercises.  

The visit began with the presentation of the 'Dédalo 24' and a tour of the aircraft area. Then, he was shown the amphibious facilities and the flight deck area and finally, the king had a meeting with the ships' crews.

Lithuania was the next stop. His Majesty the King moved to the Šiauliai Air Base, where, dressed in the Air and Space Force uniform and with the President of Lithuania, he visited the Tactical Air Detachment 'Vilkas' of the Air and Space Force. This detachment has been carrying out Air Police missions in the Baltic since 2004, a deterrence and protection mission aimed at reinforcing the air defence of the Baltic countries.

Upon his arrival he was received by the head of the "Vilkas" Detachment, Lieutenant Colonel Pablo Estrada. After the presentation by the heads of the Lithuanian Air Force and the Spanish detachment, King Felipe toured the facilities of the Operations Center. He also had the opportunity to witness a "Training Scramble" exercise of the F18s deployed in the area, which simulates an intrusion alarm in Lithuanian airspace and the take-off of a detachment aircraft to intercept and identify it.

The King held a meeting with the members of the detachment, whom he thanked for their work "in these changing times, with the emergence of new threats".

The last visit was to Latvia, where Felipe VI, accompanied by the Minister of Defense Margarita Robles and the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, had the opportunity to see the work of the Spanish contingent at the Adazi base, where the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission is deployed. Some 550 military personnel from the Spanish Army are participating in the Canadian-led Multinational Battalion and are deployed at the Lielvarde base with a NASAMS Air Defense Unit.

The king visited the exhibition of combat vehicles provided by each of the ten countries deployed in Adazi, mainly mechanized, armored and artillery means.

The Spanish mission is seven years old, since it deployed in 2017 as the first rotation of the Brigade "Extremadura" XI. This mission aims to deter and stop any attempt of aggression against the territory of Latvia. During all these years, Spain has demonstrated its firm commitment to cooperate with the Atlantic Alliance and its allies in Eastern Europe, continuing the work of deterrence and defence against threats to the Baltic countries.