Joint Special Operations Command successfully completes SOFEX-25 joint exercise

• Simultaneously with the livex phase of the JFX/MDO 25 exercise, this operational training activity increases the preparedness of the Armed Forces' operational structure in the multidomain environment

The Joint Special Operations Command (MCOE in Spanish), under the command of Major General Ángel Ramón Herrezuelo Pérez, successfully completes the joint special operations exercise SOFEX-25, which takes place annually and, as the general states, “is the most important training activity for this Command.”

Based on a fictional scenario, high-intensity special operations were planned and conducted, marked on this occasion by significant developments and advances in terms of technological experimentation. Thus, in this edition of SOFEX, new capabilities and tools were integrated to improve command and control, including a multitude of sensors, drones of all types, and artificial intelligence applications, while supporting experimentation associated with 5G networks and technologies within the livex phase (force deployment) of the JFX/MDO exercise of the Operations Command.

In a multi-domain environment, land, naval, and air elements were deployed simultaneously in different geographical areas. Specifically, capabilities were projected in the Gulf of Cádiz area, mainly aimed at experimenting with new technologies, while units were deployed to the Levante area of the peninsula to practice advanced techniques and procedures in high-intensity conflicts.

Elements from all the special operations units of the Army and Navy participated in the SOFEX-25 exercise, with the collaboration of other Armed Forces capabilities. Other participants included the Joint Cyber Command, ISR assets, aircraft of all types, ground units from the Legion and the Tercio de Armada, electronic warfare capabilities, submarines, and frigates.

Among other operational activities, Unconventional Assisted Recovery (UAR) missions were carried out, combining such diverse assets as submarines, naval drones, and first-person view (FPV) drones. At the same time, operational activities were carried out in a hypothetical hostile territory to identify and neutralize anti-aircraft systems, collaborating with NATO's Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) and Navy resources, among others.

Finally, in 2025, SOFEX has had the direct involvement of a large number of companies to support the technological experimentation objectives that had been established and also to improve different procedures of the participating units. Among other companies, MENPRO and its various commercial partners (Persistent Systems LLC, Boston Dynamics, CACI, HGH, COAS, TENCORE, Parrot, Axon-SkyHero, Teledyne Flir/SERCO, and ROWDEN), Red Team Shield, XRF, DIODON, and Glenair stand out.