JOINT STAFF

The Joint Staff (EMACON) is made up of:

a) Commander.

b) The General Secretariat of the Joint Defence Staff (SEGEMACON).

c) The Plans Division (DIVPLA).

d) The Strategy Division (DIVESTRA).

e) The Force Development Division (DIVDEF).

(f) The Joint Health Directorate (JECOSAN).

(g) The National Improvised Explosive Ordnance Disposal Cell (CENCIED).

(h) The Verification Unit (UVE).

(i) The Information and Knowledge Management Section (SGIC).

(j) HQ's Security and Services Office (JESES- CGEMAD).

k) Other units to be determined.

SEGEMACON is the body responsible for directly assisting JEMACON on the management of EMACON, as well as for technical-administrative support to EMAD Headquarters organisations. It is also responsible for providing advice and support in matters which, while being the responsibility of EMACON, are not specific to the Divisions of which it is composed. It will also act as the Technical Secretariat of the Joint Action Support Headquarters.

SEGEMACON is made up of the following bodies, which report to the Secretary General:

• Office of Coordination and Studies.
• Administrative Support Office.
• Office of Normative Production.
• Documentation Centre.
• Drawing and Reprography Office.
• EMAD General Registry.

COORDINATION AND STUDIES OFFICE

This is the unit responsible for:

• Assisting JEMACON in its managerial responsibilities, in particular by assisting in the coordination of the activities of the Divisions that are subordinate to it.
• Preparing the proposal to JEMACON for the monthly distribution of the Special Dedication Complement (CDE) of all EMAD units and, where appropriate, of other extraordinary bonuses.
• Technical-administrative support and supervision of general support.
• Acting as EMAD's Transparency Processing Unit.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT OFFICE

This is the unit responsible for:

• Providing administrative support to EMACON, in particular by controlling documentation.
• Acting as the NATO/EU Control Point for SEGEMACON and for those CGEMAD bodies that do not have such a point.

NORMATIVE PRODUCTION OFFICE

This is the unit responsible for:

• Coordinating reports on regulatory projects required by other authorities.
• Drafting and organic regulation of the normative production originated within HQ.
• Commissioning those studies and reports deemed appropriate to other EMAD units when the matter falls within the specific tasks attributed by ORDEF 166/2015 to said unit.

DRAWING AND REPROGRAPHY OFFICE

This unit is responsible for:

• Supporting all EMAD bodies with regard to graphic design and specialised reprography.

DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

This is the unit responsible for:

• Recording and archiving activities at a general level.
• The management within EMAD of national classified information, information from international organisations, mainly NATO/EU, and from other countries under agreements for the protection of classified information.
• Carrying out the activities corresponding to EMACON as the body responsible for coordinating and controlling the NATO operational standardisation process, in coordination with the management bodies reporting to it.
• Management of personal security clearances.

EMAD GENERAL REGISTRY

This is the unit responsible for:

• Document management within Defence Staff HQ in accordance with the provisions of Order 124/1995, regulating the General Registers existing within Ministry of Defence.

The Strategy Division (DIVESTRA in Spanish) is the body responsible for developing the Military Strategy and Armed Forces (FAS in Spanish) employment concept. It is also responsible for developing and coordinating FAS´s position before International Security and Defence Organizations (OISD in Spanish), in which JEMAD has responsibilities. The Strategy División is also responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling the activities derived from military relations of both bilateral and multilateral nature for which it is responsible; and for preparing military response options to support JEMAD in strategic operation planning and management.

The head of DIVESTRA is RADM Saturnino Suanzes Fernández de Cañete.

DIVESTRA is composed of:

• Technical Secretariat
• Strategy and Strategic Plans Section
• International Relations Section
• Force Development Section

STRATEGY AND STRATEGIC PLANS DEPARTMENT

Responsible for:

• Supporting JEMAD in its advisory role to the Minister, on issues concerning the present and future of the military strategy and resulting plans.
• Considering the national and allied security framework, keeping updated the military strategy, and specially, establishing the strategic framework for military planning, together with its patterns of development and possible scenarios of action.
• Assisting in tasks regarding crisis management, by supporting the political-military advice provided by JEMAD to the Minister of Defence and to the National Security Council.
• Leading the production and development process of the Military Planning Guidelines and preparing the Armed Forces Employment Concept.
• Keeping updated strategic analysis of the international security situation, identifying risks and threats, as well as possible strategic implications and changes of tendency, linking them with CIFAS and with the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies of CESEDEN.
• Preparing the military options presented to the Ministry of Defence (MINISDEF) by JEMAD, to be approved by the Government, by assisting the strategic planning and leading the operations. It is responsable for performing, among other actions, options for military responses and initial military guidelines to establish the operational planning framework, as well as taking part in strategic operation revision.
• Planning and coordinating the national contribution to the multinational operational structures within the framework of International Security and Defence Organizations (OISD) through developing options for military responses and initial military guidelines.
• Coordinating together with the National Military Representations before OISD, all those activities related with the previous duties, as well as keeping updated for the FAS the Catalogue of Rules of Engagement (ROEs).

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

Responsible for:

• Advising about the directives, concepts, plans and other documents in process in the International Security and Defence organizations (OISD) in which JEMAD has responsibilities, including the international multinational or bilateral structures of military nature in which Spain takes part.
• Preparing and coordinating the FAS´s position regarding the issues covered during NATO and EU military committees, and when determined, in other existing forums of the International Security and Defence Organizations, included within the scope of responsibility of JEMAD.
• Leading the development of JEMAD Guidelines regarding FAS contribution to the Spain´s external action, as well as proposing and coordinating guidelines related to national contribution to the structures of those organizations, in particular, by establishing criteria, priorities and the participation of Spanish military personnel in the OISD.

FORCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Responsible for:

• Drafting the FAS Enlistment Report
• Issuing guidelines for reaching the enlistment level required for the Joint Force (FC in Spanish) as well as guiding its training, evaluation and certification.
• Developing criteria for designing scenarios and for planning, programming and conducting joint and combined exercises.
• Coordinating and controlling logistical aspects within its competence (advanced logistics) related to joint-combined exercises.
• Participating in the lessons learned process together with the Operations Command (MOPS in Spanish) and the Joint Centre for Concept Development (CCDC in Spanish); and in the development of priority operational concepts implemented in collaboration with the Joint Action Support Command (JAAC in Spanish) and CCDC.
• Identifying the need for the development of concepts for future operational environments to develop the military planning strategic framework.
• Taking part in the development of the CESEDEN research programme.
• Analysing and promoting the synchronization process of the joint further education with the needs of the operational structure developed in CESEDEN.

The Planning Division (DIVPLA in Spanish) is the EMACON´s body responsible for preparing and coordinating Force planning, developing duties related to the process of acquiring those material resources included within the JEMAD responsibility, and for guiding the transformation processes of FAS operational capabilities. It will be also responsible for preparing and coordinating FAS´s position before International Security and Defence Organizations (OISD) in the logistics domain.

The head of DIVPLA is MG. Iñigo Pareja Rodríguez.

DIVPLA is composed of:

• Technical Secretariat
• Force Plans Section.
• Resources Plan Section.
• Organization Section.

FORCE PLANS SECTION

Responsible for:

• Being integrated into the process of “Defence planning”, as stated in the pertinent Ministerial Order.
• Coordinating, developing and monitoring force planning in order to establish FAS Military Capabilities, as well as designing the Force´s Objectives in the long term.
• Cooperating in design and development of the Military Planning Guidelines.
• Coordinating national participation into the capability planning developed by International Security and Defence Organizations (NATO and EU) and within a multilateral framework.
• Obtaining a detailed definition of the joint capabilities identified in the process of force planning, through the specified directives.

RESOURCE PLAN SECTIONS

Responsible for:

• Coordinating the output process arising from the military capabilities approved within the Military Capabilities Objective (OCM in Spanish) and within its competence, according to MIRADO factors (material, infrastructure, human resources, training, doctrine and organization), by coordinating and validating its requirements and its subsequent control and monitoring.
• Planning, coordinating and controlling the logistical aspects within its competence, related to the provision of resources and FAS joint capabilities together with the responsibilities of being “host nation”.
• Participating in the different logistical committees included within its competence in the OISD at strategic and political-military level.
• Planning, coordinating and controlling the estimation of financial requirements at FAS disposal, oriented to capability planning in accordance with MIRADO factors.
• Planning the need of ordinary credits to be assigned to national seniors in international organizations and credits for Peacekeeping Operations (OMP in Spanish) in order to attend those CSI created within EMAD, except those from OMP controlled by MOPS, and providing guidelines for their management.
• Contributing and coordinating, when required, the procurement of military capabilities within OISD.
• Planning on infrastructures within EMAD
• Coordinating the operational and technical aspects regarding FAS usage of fuels, lubricants and associated products.
• Becoming part of the working body of the Boards of Weapons and Material and Lubricants and Fuels Programmes.
• Coordinating, through its NSIP (NATO Security Investment Program) Section, the Capability Management Package (CP) NSIP, being also responsible, in coordination with all the bodies participating in the process, of the activities related to the CP processing within NATO.

ORGANIZATION SECTION

Responsible for:

• Conducting studies and proposals for the standardization of the Army, Navy, Air Force and EMAD organization in order to improve operational efficiency of the Armed Forces, and to unify all those services whose tasks are not exclusive of the Army, Navy, Air Force or EMAD.
• Compiling the EMAD´s organization structure and supporting the Human Resources Section regarding workforce definition.
• Encouraging, coordinating and controlling the regulations regarding organization, by activating the organic regulation process.
• Supporting SEGEMACON in global planning coordination, in the proper functioning of the organization operating under JEMAD and in the coordination with the regulations developed within the Ministry.

DIVDEF is the body responsible for leading the overall Force Development process, including readiness and Interoperability efforts and coordinating the orientation of joint preparation. It also leads the foresight process, defining the military strategic framework. Promotes and manages the development and testing of new concepts. Promotes and coordinates the study and development of joint and combined doctrine. Maintains the necessary relations with counterpart doctrine and force development bodies. Promotes and coordinates the joint process of lessons learned and best practices.

The head of DIVDEF is MG José Antonio Herrera Llamas.

JECOSAN is responsible for directing and coordinating issues related to operational healthcare, within the range of its authority. Its aim is to provide guidelines focused on the planning and use of operational health capabilities; participating on the development and implementation of standards for joint action in this field.

The head of JECOSAN is Medical BG José María Delgado Pérez.

CENCIED's main task is to promote and coordinate the development of counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) capabilities in the Armed Forces and its position in this matter, as well as supporting, the planning and execution of military operations, within this frame. It is the national liaison cell to the Center of Excellence against Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED CoE), along with the National Intelligence Centre and Spain's Police and Security Forces.

To fulfill its mission, CENCIED is: 

• To cooperate, through the integration and exploitation of intelligence, to neutralize or at least minimize the threat of IED attacks
• To support the transformation process of the Spanish Armed Forces and the Atlantic Alliance in the field of fighting IED's.
• To support the research and development of the Spanish Armed Forces' capabilities in this issue by:
• Promoting military education, instruction and support for national and multinational exercises
• Improving the levels of interoperability in joint and combined environments.
• Supporting the development of concepts, doctrine, procedures and standards.
• Testing and validation of concepts through experimentation.
• Contributing to the lessons learned process. 
• To Support the standardisation processes of assets and equipment in the field of C-IED within NATO.

The head of CENCIED is  Navy Captain José C. Couce Montenegro.

The Spanish Verification Unit (UVE in Spanish) was created by Ministerial Order 73/91, of October the 8^th, given the need to have a permanent and specialized military unit, arising from the ratification by Spain of various disarmament and arms control treaties and agreements.

According to Order DEF/710/2020, the UVE is the joint operational unit of the Defence Staff (EMAD in Spanish), reporting to the Chief of Joint Staff (JEMACON in Spanish), which 'has the responsibility to plan, coordinate, control and execute those activities entrusted to the Armed Forces, in conjunction with those carried out by other bodies of the State, arising from the international commitments acquired by Spain related to disarmament, arms control and the establishment of measures to promote confidence and security, as well as for verifying compliance by other States’.

UVE's MAIN TASKS:

• Monitoring arms control treaties and agreements that could imply verification activities. To carry out inspections, evaluations, observation flights or other verification activities in other States, coordinated with allied countries within the right foums and with countries belonging to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
• To carry out escorts for foreign teams during the verification activities of other states in Spain, coordinating with the units, centres and organisations of the Armed Forces and with the appropriate administrative bodies.
• To gather the necessary information from the military branches and draw up the Information Exchanges of the corresponding treaties and agreements, and propose them for dissemination.
• To prepare the reports on the application of the treaties and agreements that are the object of its attention, proposing them for their processing. 
• To Prepare and disseminate the mandatory reports, analyse and archive those received from other agencies or verification units, and maintain an updated database.   To Prepare and disseminate the operational procedures derived from the verification system to be established at the national level.
• To Advise Spanish contingents  deployed abroad that may be affected by arms control and verification measures.
• To Maintain an alert system, in coordination with the bodies involved in the verification system, which allows a rapid reaction to notifications of verification activities received in Spain.

INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING

UVE requires well-trained personnel in order to successfully conduct missions with a very short activation process and specialised training. For this purpose, the following capabilities are needed:

• Fluent communication in English and Russian (including aeronautic Russian), key tools within the Verification field.
• Creating and analysing military information exchanges.
• Knowledge on Arms Control Treaties and Agreements.
• Recognising and identifying military materials and units.
• Planning and conducting aerial photographic missions.
• Knowledge on small and light weapons and conventional ammunitions.
• Leading/integrating into multinational teams.
• Negotiation skills capacity within the multinational and operational field.
• Other technical capacities (photosetting, photography, GPS´s use, etc.).
• High degree of Operational Readiness: passports, vacuums, medical examinations, physical aptitude tests, etc. 

The main training of the personnel is carried out in the Unit itself and in the NATO School in Oberammergau (Germany). The unit collaborates with the NATO School by providing teachers, being a real challenge that makes UVE proud, as it requires a perfect command of technical English and expertise in the subject to be taught, since it is necessary to give classes to students with a high level of previous knowledge.

Instruction and Training of UVE personnel is complemented with other activities such as exercises and bilateral instruction flights with allied countries, cooperation with other FAS Units for First-Aid courses, training flights in helicopters, visits to Units to prepare them for inspections, and other internal activities including language courses, material recognition courses, shooting, parades, etc.

HISTORY

As a result of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), and after development of such negotiation in Vienna, from March 1989, the General Directorate of Defence Policies (DIGENPOL in Spanish) had the necessity of establishing an organic structure able to meet the obligations deriving both from the CFE treaty and the Stockholm Document. For that purpose, a two-level structure is conceived: one of management level, conducted by DIGENPOL and another one executive, under the Joint Defence Staff (EMACON in Spanish) and the Army Headquarters.

In March 1990, by Order from the Ministry of Defence, a work group was created which proposed a first design of organization of a verification system, assigned tasks to DIGENPOL, Defence Staff (EMAD in Spanish), Army, Navy and Air Force Headquarters, and created a Verification Cell within each of them. From this group, the proposal of an inspection/escort unit arose, thus considered the UVE´s germ. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following a letter sent by the Minister of Defence communicating the organization´s status regarding Defence verification and the necessity to coordinate this matter between both Ministries, expressed its intent to create a Sub-Directorate for Disarmament Affairs.

ORIGINS

Following approval of the creation of an inspection/escort unit, and once an initial verification system was established through the allocation of responsibilities, operational lines were defined, being in some cases characteristic features of the UVE´s modus operandi. Among them, we can highlight performance in accordance with regulated procedures, which are agreed in advance by participating bodies, and decentralization in the execution by each team, both at the inspection and escort levels.

The need for having a communication system was considered to be of great importance, conceiving the possibility of multiple uses: information exchange, data processing, notifications, etc. Also, given the short time period established for processing the different procedures, it was also considered the need for establishing a permanent alert system which would be able to respond within three hours to a notification made by another country expressing the intention to conduct an inspection in Spain within the following 36 hours.

In September 1990, for the development of verification standards, guidelines were established assigning tasks to UVE, and mentioning it as a recently-created unit. However, this fact did not occur until a year later, even though on 20^th September 1990 (BOD 190), General Víctor Suanzes Pardo was appointed Chief of the Verification Unit. From that moment, all the competences related to elaboration and maintenance of information fell under the competence of the EMACON Verification Cell.

Annexed to the aforementioned guidelines, the proposal also establishes a division of Spain into inspection districts with two entry/exit points, the limits for deciding the kind of transport to be used by the escort team and the support given to flights conducted over those identified places with Army helicopters. This resulted in a first draft of a general operational standard.

  "Fiat lux"

As a result of this preparatory activity emerged the Organizational Structure 90/02, which today is still the most important basic document, since it is signed by the Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD) and countersigned by the Ministry of Defence. It regulates tasks endorsed by the Ministry of Defence organisms in relation to the active and passive inspections, together with one important aspect that is the establishment of the UVE internal structure under the command of a General; in addition, the EMACON´s responsibility for maintenance of a database is also established. Shortly thereafter, in January 1991, the General Instruction 02/91, regulating internal procedures for development of information exchange in the Kingdom of Spain, was signed. 

But certainly, the most significant event during 1992, given the commitment of the Eastern European countries to ratify the CFE Treaty, was the UVE´s creation by Ministerial Order 73/91 of 8 October 1991.

July 1992 saw an event that would definitely foster the development of the Unit: the decision taken by the States signing the CFE of its provisional entry into force. Despite all the preparations, this fact took by surprise the unit, since they had an insufficient number of troops to cope with the workload expected at that time; for that reason, personnel were seconded in September, being definitely assigned in December.

COMING INTO EFFECT

From then on, the unit found itself into an intense activity, since in December 1992 it was also in charge of those verification activities of the Vienna Document in which the unit had previous experience, taking into account that in October 1991 the first activity regarding the application of this document was conducted: evaluation of the Cavalry Brigade Castillejos No.2 in Zaragoza by a team from the URSS. Regarding CFE, it was needed, before proceeding during the following three years to the reduction to the agreed limits, to validate data on the existence of armament limited by the Treaty; said period was known as “base validation period”.

During the CFE period, known as “reduction period”, a great effort was made, since a quantity of armament higher than the one destroyed during the Second World War, was rendered useless.

The unit´s internal organization was also adapted to this new situation. The inspection team lost its permanent role regarding its composition and evolved into a more pragmatic and at the same time efficient mode of action, from a functional point of view. The rotation of inspectors in multiple tasks, according to their mission, enables full knowledge of the different consequences of executing a verification mission.

The end of the reduction period, in 1995, gave way to an intense activity phase of application of the CFE Treaty. Within four months, as many inspections as those that may be conducted during an annual cycle, were realised. The protagonists of the “residual level validation period”, as this phase was called, will remember it as a permanent state of availability to pack and unpack personal luggage.

Diversification of activities

Following the new integration of the Verification Cell into UVE, returning to EMACON from 1992, the unit commitment to the function of advising the command regarding arm control increased.

The situation reached after the signing of the Dayton Agreement in the Balkans, giving rise to a verification regime partially inspired by CFE and the Vienna Document, offered UVE the possibility of taking part as an assistant of the teams composed by the parties involved in a conflict.

The entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention, signed in Paris in January 1993 and ratified by Spain in August 1994, led to the creation of the National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (ANPAQ in Spanish), by Royal Decree of 12 May 1997, being a collegiate body chaired by the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, a General Secretariat included into the Minister of Industry and Energy, and a Working Group. In this way, a new body is created, competent in verification issues, as well as an inspection regime, created by experts from the international Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and with the participation of UVE as a support body, due to its experience in verification, since the unit had already performed an exercise related with this activity at the Naval Base of Algameca (Cartagena).

A fact of great impact on the UVE´s financial side was that, from 1998, military aircraft was replaced by commercial airlines for the movement of inspection teams. This was a practice already applied by other CFE members for some time. This fact did not mean in any way the end of the valuable contribution to the verification activities given by the Spanish Air Force. Soon afterwards, the air observation system for the Treaty on Open Skies, known as “sensor´s pod” was delivered to the allied group participating in the consortium formed in 1994 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Spain made an important contribution to the system equipment by providing four aerial cameras, with a cost of 22 million pesetas (132,500€).

After executing compatibility tests with the aircraft “Hércules”, which had previously undergone a modernisation process in avionics and self-protection systems, the first operational activities were carried out with this aircraft, preceded by flights for data collection in order to determine the minimum height required for the sensors.

On 1st January 2002, the Treaty on Open Skies came into force, and since then, both active and passive observation flights are conducted.

Organic and functional restructuring

In January 1998 and by application of JEMAD Organizational Instruction 1/98 on “organization of EMAD Headquarters”, UVE became dependent on the Strategic Plans Division (DIVESPLA). In June 1999, UVE moved from its section into the Defence Staff to its current location at the Defence Group of Schools in Madrid.

Since July 2020, after legal changes on the HQ's structure, UVE became dependant on the Joint Chief of Staff.

UVE is in charge of conducting verification and assessment activities, maintaining functional relation with the following bodies:

• General Directorate of Defence Policies (DIGENPOL in Spanish) from the Ministry of Defence.
• General Directorate of Foreign Policy and Multilateral, Global and Security Affairs, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Strategic Plans Division (DIVESPLA) from the Joint Staff.
• Verification Cells from the Spanish Army, Navy and Air Force.

The head of UVE is Colonel Francisco Lanza Mollá

Summary of activities performed by UVE as of December 31^st, 2020

CFE Activities

• Inspections: 156
• Multinational Inspections: 343
• Passive Inspections: 119

Vienna Document Activities

• Unit evaluations led by Spain: 41
• Specific Area Inspections led by Spain: 46
• Inspections or Evaluations (multinational teams): 105
• Escorts to Unit Evaluations (Spanish Units): 21
• Escorts to Specific Area Inspections (in Spain): 34
• Events in Spain (Visit to Air Base and Military Facilities): 12
• Participation in events -in other Participating States: 208
• Observations of manoeuvres -in other participating States: 7

Open Skies Activities

• Observation Flights: 50
• Escort to Observation Flights in Spain: 40

Dayton Agreement Activities

• 46 Missions

Chemical Weapons Convention Activities

• 83 Escorts to OPCW Inspections

The purpose of SGIC is to identify and keep updated the main functional and operational procedures of the Staff Defence Headquarters (SD-HQ), by planning and developing the most efficient structure for Information and Knowledge Management within the SD-HQ and its implementation. It also sets out plans for the coordination of the transversal core processes defined by the Chief of Defense in order to link them to these specific procedures.

The head of SGIC is Navy Captain David A. Fernández-Portal Díaz del Río.

JESES-CGEMAD is responsible for the maintenance of the facilities, supporting the Staff Defence Headquarters (SD-HQ) and those units belonging to the SD-HQ to be determined, as well as their personnel. It organizes and manages the security of the personnel assigned to the SD-HQ and its offices. In addition, it carries out the management of environmental issues, energy efficiency and labour risk prevention within the SD-HQ.

The head of JESES-CGEMAD is Colonel Joaquín Peñas Domínguez.