Expeditionary Battle Group 'Dedalo 25' is integrated into Exercise Steadfast Dart 25.

•  The ships 'Patiño' and 'Alvaro de Bazan', which were part of 'Dedalo 25', have been integrated into Standing NATO Maritime Group 2.

The ships 'Patiño' and 'Alvaro de Bazan', which were part of 'Dedalo 25', have been integrated into Standing NATO Maritime Group 2.

Following its departure from the port of Thessaloniki, Greece, the Expeditionary Battle Group 'Dedalo 25' is now part of the Steadfast Dart 25.

This Expeditionary Battle Group, which initially consisted of all the ships that left the Naval Base of Rota in January, now comprises the aircraft carrier 'Juan Carlos I' and the frigates 'Blas de Lezo' and 'Victoria', while the frigate 'Alvaro de Bazan' and the supply ship 'Patiño' have left the group to join Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2).

SNMG-2, which also participates in Steadfast Dart 25, is currently conducting Operation Noble Shield in the central and eastern Mediterranean. During this deployment, they will conduct a variety of naval exercises and manoeuvres, as well as maintaining a permanent Allied presence in the maritime domain and participating in maritime surveillance and security activities.

'Dedalo' 25 stopover in Thessaloniki

During the stopover in the port of Thessaloniki, prior to the start of the current phase of operations, 'Dedalo 25' was visited by the Commander of the Maritime Component of the Allied Reaction Force, Vice Admiral Andrea Petroni, who is in charge of the Italian Maritime Force, the unit leading the maritime component of Steadfast Dart 25. During his visit, the Vice Admiral saw first-hand the readiness and capabilities of the Spanish expeditionary force.

By participating in Steadfast Dart 25, the 'Dedalo' Expeditionary Battle Group reaffirms its key role within NATO, while demonstrating its readiness and operational capability to meet any challenge in the maritime environment.

'Dedalo' Expeditionary Battle Group Deployment

The Expeditionary Battle Group 'Dedalo' is a highly specialized force that combines warships, aircraft and naval units, enabling it to act quickly and effectively in a variety of scenarios. Its role in Steadfast Dart 25 is crucial, providing NATO with an advanced capability to operate at sea and from the sea, thus ensuring Spain's commitment to NATO's deterrence and defence posture.

The Navy began these deployments in 2023 and continued them in 2024. These types of operations and exercises allow the Navy to demonstrate its expeditionary capability in different geographical areas, as well as the projection of naval power over land with its fixed-wing air assets and/or the embarked Marine Infantry Force, which is unique in our Armed Forces.

Through the 'Dedalo' Group, Spain contributes to the Alliance's military commitment in the interests of peace and international security. It also demonstrates its ability to project stability beyond our borders, protecting maritime traffic and the use of international airspace, always in close cooperation with Alliance nations and friendly allies.

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2)

SNMG-2 is a NATO naval grouping operating in the Mediterranean Sea. Its primary mission is to maintain a permanent presence in NATO areas of interest and to conduct maritime security and surveillance operations. It also forms the core of the NATO Maritime Response Force.

SNMG-2 is currently conducting Operation Noble Shield. This operation reinforces Spain's and the Navy's commitment to NATO, contributing to deterrence and collective defence at sea, providing maritime presence and enhancing interoperability between Allies.

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 and commanded at the strategic level in Mons, Belgium, and conducted 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 South-eastern Surveillance Area (SEA), through which NATO seeks to provide deterrence against any threat to Allied territory. As such, STDT 25 is the culmination of ARF 24's preparation and the most important field demonstration of its full operational capability.

Overall, 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, as well as to support Alliance defence in conflict. In this context, the interoperability and rapid deployment capability of the four components of the ARF-24 - land, air, maritime and special operations commands - will be tested.