Special Operations Component Command forces complete their deployment for NATO's Steadfast Dart 25 exercise

• From Spain, with a remarkable logistical effort, troops and equipment have been sent to Bulgaria by land, sea and air

The Special Operations Component Command (SOCC) of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF) has completed its deployment to Bulgaria to take part in Steadfast Dart 25, the Alliance's largest annual exercise. The deployment began on 25 January with the transfer by land, air and sea of some 50 combat vehicles - mainly VAMTAC light vehicles and CNPTT heavy vehicles - two NH 90 helicopters, which flew from Spain to Bulgaria, as well as military personnel from various operational units and other support units that will also take part in this challenging Allied training activity.

For this exercise, the Special Operations Component Command, led by the MCOE and with contributions from the Armies and the Navy, consits of a headquarters, several tactical groups, helicopters, a transmission unit and a support unit. All of them will be deployed in different parts of Bulgaria and Greece to practice logistical procedures and to collaborate with other special operations units as part of the ARF's training objectives. Around 370 Spanish military personnel are integrated into NATO's SOCC, which Spain is leading for the first time since June 2024 and until June 2026.

During this activity, the Spanish forces of the four commands involved (land, maritime, air and special operations) are under the operational control of the Operations Commander.

Exercise Steadfast Dart 2025

Steadfast Dart (STDT) 25 is a joint alert and deployment exercise (ALERTEX/DEPLOYEX) planned by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), based in and commanded at the strategic level from Mons, Belgium, and led at the operational level by Joint Force Command Naples (JFCNP), Italy. The primary objective is to test and train the operational deployment and rapid reinforcement of elements of Allied Reaction Force (ARF) 2024 in NATO's peacetime Southeastern Surveillance Area (SEA), through which NATO seeks to provide deterrence against any threat to Allied territory. STDT 25 is therefore the culmination of ARF 24's preparation and the most important field demonstration of its full operational capability.

Steadfast Dart 25 will demonstrate that the ARF is a strategic, highly available, multi-domain, multinational capability that can be rapidly deployed and employed to enhance deterrence in peacetime and crisis, and to support Alliance defence in conflict. In this context, the interoperability and rapid deployment capability of the four commands involved in the ARF-24 - the land, air, maritime and special operations - will be tested.

Spanish participation in STDT25

For STDT25, Spain will deploy some 3,200 military personnel distributed among the Alliance's four component commands. In addition to this major deployment, the Spanish Joint Special Operations Command ((MCOE) will lead NATO's Special Operations Component for two years (June 2024 to June 2026), following an in-depth assessment of its operational capabilities. In addition to the special operations forces described above, the following units are participating:

In the Land Component Command (LCC), a reinforced Battlegroup unit with around 760 military personnel. It will be part of the ARF LCC Brigade, led by the United Kingdom.

In the Maritime Component Command (MCC), an amphibious group composed of an amphibious LHD ship with its projection assets, a Marine infantry force and an embarked ROLE 2B support, with approximately 1,960 Spanish soldiers.

In the Air Component Command, the ESP JFAC will participate as an Air Command and Control (AirC2) element. Additionally, an A400 will be deployed for a limited time, as well as modules of the Spanish Air and Space Force Deployment Support Squadron (EADA) and personnel for the management of aeronautical fuels. A total of some 55 Spanish military personnel will be deployed.