Spain has successfully concluded its leadership of the Special Operations Component Command of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force

• He hands over command at an event that ensures continuity, coordination and operational transition between the forces that make up NATO’s ARFs

After two years at the helm, Spain has handed over leadership of the Special Operations Component Command (SOCC) of NATO’s Allied Response Force (ARF) to the United Kingdom, which will hold command of ARF 26’s SOCC for the period from July 2026 to June 2027.

Since July 2024, the Joint Special Operations Command (MCOE) has led the Special Operations Component Command (SOCC) of NATO’s Allied Response Force (ARF). Under the command of the Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (CMCOE), Major General Ángel R. Herrezuelo, Spanish special operations units achieved full operational readiness across all domains, thereby enhancing the ARF’s capabilities.

In particular, it is worth highlighting the deployment of its capabilities during the Alliance’s largest annual multi-domain training exercise, ‘Steadfast Dart 2026’ (STDT 26), which took place last February. During the exercise, Spanish special operations units from the Army, the Navy and the Air and Space Force, as well as their supporting units, demonstrated their integration with allied units in a multi-domain environment in the vicinity of the Baltic Sea.

During the meeting of the ARF Component Commands at the Headquarters of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy (NRDC-ITA), the handover of command took place for the heads of these Component Commands — land, maritime, air and special operations. Furthermore, this conference brought together representatives from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and the ARF Commanders for the 2025, 2026 and 2027 rotation cycles, providing an excellent opportunity to share lessons learnt and common procedures of interest. For those in attendance, this handover ceremony marked a key moment of transition, during which the outgoing Component Commanders were thanked for their contribution and the new leaders were welcomed; they will guide the members of NATO’s strategic, high-readiness, multi-domain force during the next readiness cycle.