The NATO Military Committee pays an official visit to Spain

• The military representation of the members of the Atlantic Alliance was headed by the Chair of the Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone

The Military Committee of the Atlantic Alliance has held several working sessions in Spain, led by its chairman, Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. The NATO military delegation had the opportunity to visit various Alliance facilities in Spain and the rest of the European Union.

In addition, Admiral Cavo Dragone was received in audience by the King and also held a meeting with the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles.

During the first day, the NATO military representation visited the facilities of the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen) at Torrejón Air Base, where its Director, Louis Tillier, briefed them on the Centre’s operation and missions.

Subsequently, the Military Committee visited the Aerospace Observation Systems Centre and the Space Surveillance Operations Centre, the main operational pillars of the Spanish Space Command, responsible for protecting satellites and monitoring aerospace activities. They were received by Major General Isaac Crespo, Commander of the Spanish Space Command. This Unit reinforces Spain’s commitment to ensuring the security of national and Allied interests in space, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and operational strategies aligned with emerging aerospace requirements.

On Wednesday, the NATO delegation travelled to the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (CAOC-T). They were received by its Commander, Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sánchez de Lara and by the Chief of Staff of NATO Air Command, General Frank Gräfe, who travelled from Ramstein. The delegation was briefed on the current and future status of the Unit and on the challenges faced by the Air Command and Control structure responsible for overseeing the airspace surveillance of Allied nations, particularly the southern area of responsibility assigned to this Centre.

The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, also had the opportunity to travel to Valencia, where he visited the headquarters of NATO's Rapid Deployment Corps in Spain (HQ NRDC-ESP) at the Bétera Military Base, accompanied by the Chief of the Spanish Defence Staff, Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón (CHOD). After the military honours were rendered, they were briefed on how HQ NRDC-ESP operates, its mission, structure, capabilities and its role as NATO's Headquarters for High Intensity Operations or Warfighting Corps.

During the visit, a video conference was conducted with the Forward Corps Element of HQ NRDC-ESP deployed in Slovakia, along with a briefing on the Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment process. The CHOD and Admiral Cavo Dragone also visited a static display where they were shown the capabilities of the Headquarters Support Regiment and the Signals Regiment No. 21.

The final working day, prior to returning to Brussels, took place in Madrid. Following a wreath-laying ceremony at the Plaza de la Lealtad, accompanied by the CHOD, Admiral Cavo Dragone proceeded to the Defence Staff Headquarters. There, he held a working meeting with Admiral López Calderón, attended also by other general officers of the Defence Staff.

The outcome of these working days has been very positive. In the words of Admiral Cavo Dragone: "Visits such as these made over the last few days to Spanish and EU facilities in Madrid and Valencia are not an “extra”. They are essential. In our daily work, we talk about capabilities, readiness, resilience, command and control, but here we see how decisions turn into actions, how information turns into awareness, and how awareness turns into protection. And above all, we have seen the people: professionals, who monitor, coordinate, analyse, and anticipate, often silently, always tirelessly."

Admiral Cavo Dragone reiterated that “Spain contributes substantially and consistently to the Alliance through its capabilities, its deployments, the hosting of key functions, and the constant reliability that Allies immediately recognise. You provide security not as a slogan, but as a service: daily, tangible and always available.”