Spanish troops from the 'Legion' Battle Group carry out joint exercises with British units as part of the 'Steadfast Dart 25' exercise

• A Spanish Tactical Sub-group has travelled to Smardan to operate with British units of the Land Component Command of NATO's Allied Reaction Force

Spanish military personnel from the ‘Legion’ Battle Group deployed to Cincu for the NATO exercise ‘Steadfast Dart 25’ (STDT25), have moved to Smardan, Romania, to conduct operational activities with British units of NATO's Allied Reaction Force (ARF) Land Component Command (LCC).

A Spanish Tactical Sub-group has travelled to Galati, where the UK component of STDT25 is based, while a British Tactical Sub-group has travelled to Cincu to conduct joint exercises with the Spanish and French units stationed there. Together, the Battle Groups of different nationalities make up the UK-led Brigade that forms the Land Component Command of NATO's Allied Reaction Force (ARF).

More than 190 Spanish military personnel took part in the exercise. The transfer from Cincu to Smardan entailed a major logistical effort in a three-column convoy. Most of the Spanish personnel travelled in tactical vehicles and the rest by bus.

These exercises, carried out within the NATO framework, reinforce Spain's commitment to defense and deterrence on the eastern flank and contribute to the unity and interoperability of the Allied forces.

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 main 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 the culmination of ARF 24's preparations and the most important field demonstration of its full operational capability.

Steadfast Dart 25 shows 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 aim is to test the interoperability and readiness of the four component elements of ARF-24: land, air, maritime and special operations component commands.

Spanish participation in STDT25

For STDT25, Spain has deployed around 3,000 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 (from June 2024 to June 2026), after having undergone an in-depth assessment of its operational capabilities. In addition to the special operations forces outlined above, the following units are participating:

In the Land Component Command (LCC), a reinforced Battle Group unit with more than 700 military personnel, it has been part of the UK-led ARF LCC Brigade.

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.

In the Air Component Command, the ESP JFAC has taken part as an Air Command and Control (AirC2) element. Additionally, an A400 has been deployed, as well as modules of the Spanish Air and Space Force Deployment Support Squadron (EADA) and personnel for the management of aeronautical fuels.