‘Immediate Response 25’ Exercise Begins as Part of ‘Defender Europe 25’

• The Maneuver Support Command and the Guadarrama XII Brigade are participating in it

The ‘Immediate Response 25’ (IR25) exercise, the second phase of ‘Defender Europe 25’ (DE25), has begun in Greece and will run until 9 June 2025. The Army Support Command (MAM in Spanish) and the ‘Guadarrama’ XII Brigade are participating. These operational activities aim to test the speed and effectiveness of US troop deployment in Europe to defend the eastern flank alongside NATO allies and partners.

The main goal of IR25 is to demonstrate land deployment capabilities and reinforce cybersecurity, while also contributing to NATO training through national preparation programmes and combined training events, including live-fire exercises conducted in Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovakia.

During IR25, various US units will train with allied nations in live-fire drills, explosive ordnance disposal, cyber scenarios, and NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) threats. Scenarios will include a mechanised brigade attack or a decontamination operation in response to a chemical attack.

From the Spanish side, the participating units are the MAM and the ‘Guadarrama’ XII Brigade, which is part of the Castillejos Division. Both units have deployed personnel and equipment via sea, using the Spanish Army Logistics Ship ‘Ysabel’, and by air. In total, 240 military personnel and 55 vehicles have been deployed, organised as follows:

• A Mechanised Tactical Subgroup from the ‘Guadarrama’ XII Brigade, integrated into a Greek Brigade.
• A Logistics Unit from the Brigade Logistics (BRILOG) of the MAM, integrated with the XVI US Army Logistics Brigade.
• An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Section from the Engineer Command (MING) of the MAM, working with the 184th EOD Battalion of the US Army.
• A Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Reconnaissance Team from the NBC Defence Regiment ‘Valencia’ N. 1 of the MAM, integrated within the French NBC Battalion (‘Dragons’).

IR25 represents a significant challenge for both the MAM and the ‘Guadarrama’ XII Brigade. Participation in this type of exercise will improve interoperability with other allied units and demonstrate the ability to respond quickly and effectively to crisis situations as part of a multinational force in high-intensity operations, thereby enhancing deterrence on the Eastern Flank.

Army Support Command (MAM)

The MAM is an organisational structure ‘similar to a Division’ consisting of approximately 12,000 soldiers deployed across Spain. It is made up of five ‘Brigade-type’ units and two independent Regiments, with its Headquarters (HQ) in A Coruña. Other components include the Field Artillery Command (HQ in León), Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command (HQ in Madrid), Engineers Command (HQ in Salamanca), Communications Command (HQ in Valencia), Logistics Brigade (HQ in Zaragoza), Intelligence Regiment N. 1 (Valencia), and NBC Defence Regiment ‘Valencia’ N. 1 (Valencia).

The MAM was established following a restructuring of the Spanish Army in 2020, consolidating all elements that contribute to providing operational advantages on the battlefield, including Command and Control, Intelligence, Long-Range Fires, Logistics, Medical Assistance, Air Defence and Protection, as well as Mobility, Counter-Mobility, and Nuclear, Radiological, Biological, and Chemical Protection.

The primary mission of the MAM is to prepare its units as part of NATO’s deterrence effort and, when required, to generate forces for national or international organisations.