Operations Command (MOPS)

 MOPS 20th Anniversary Award Winners.

 Painting:

• First, in the  adult category. With 1500 EUROS,

                Mr. JOSÉ MARÍASÁNCHEZ GUTIÉRREZ, for his work: “Desafiando la Calma de la Bahía”.

• Second, in the adult category. With 850 EUROS,

                Mr. YAS VÁZQUEZRAMÍREZ, for his work: “Vientos de Coraje y Paz”.

Photography:

• First, best photography category. With 1000 EUROS,

                 Corporal MIGUEL ÁNGEL SÁNCHEZ ESCRIBANO, for his work: “Binomio”.

• Second, best photograph category. With 700 EUROS,

                 Lieutenant of the Navy Mr. CARLOS CELEDONIO AMEYUGO FERNÁNDEZ DEL CAMPO, for his work: “Juan Sebastián Elcano en los Canales Patagónicos”.

• First, in the best human interest photography category. With 1000 EUROS,

                 Warrant Officer JORGE RUIZ DUESO, for his work: “Small Example”.

• Second, in the best human interest photography category. With 700 EUROS,

                 Private SERGIO RODRÍGUEZ REY, for his work: “Lealtad”.

Literary (short story category):

•  First,  With 1000 EUROS,

                 Major D. MIGUEL ÁNGEL GONZÁLEZ MOLINA, for his work: “La delgada línea”.

• Second,  With 750 EUROS,

                    Ms. GLORIA FERNÁNDEZ SÁNCHEZ, for her work: “Don Juan Moreto”.

The Operations Command (MOPS in Spanish) is structured as follows:

• Commander.
• Deputy Commander.
• Operations Command Staff (EMMOPS in Spanish).
• Joint Special Operations Command (MCOE in Spanish).
• The core of the Multinational Joint Headquarters (ES-OHQ).
• Head of Security and Services (JESES-RETAMARES).

HEADS OF UNITS THAT MAKE UP THE OPERATIONS COMMAND

• Deputy Commander and Operations Command Chief of Staff: Rear Admiral Alfonso Delgado Moreno
• DCOS Support Operations Command: BG (Army) Javier Betolaza Mendez
• DCOS OPS SP Operations Command: BG (Air Force)  Fernando Martín Pascual
• Commander of Joint Special Operations Command: BG (ESP Marines Corps) Ángel Ramón Herrezuelo Pérez

The Operations Command Staff (EMMOPS), the main CMOPS auxiliary command body, is the body responsible for the overall planning, coordination and control of activities related to the planning, monitoring and conduct of operations and exercises mandated to it at the operational level.

EMMOPS is structured into: Headquarters;

• Technical Secretariat (SETEC-EMMOPS).
• Operations Area (AOPS)
• Support Area (AAPO).

TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT OF THE OPERATIONS COMMAND STAFF (SETEC-EMMOPS)

This is the body responsible for:

• Assisting the JEMMOPS in the direction and coordination of the activities of the technical administrative support to the EMMOPS.
• Constitute the NATO/EU control point, as well as a Local Classified Material Protection Service for national documentation.
• It will be responsible for information and knowledge management in EMMOPS.
• It advises and supports on matters which, being the responsibility of EMMOPS, are not specific to any other section of EMMOPS.

OPERATIONS COMMAND STAFF OPERATIONS AREA OF OPERATIONS COMMAND

1. Direct and coordinate intelligence at the operational level, manage information requirements and coordinate intelligence collection at the operational level. It develops counter-intelligence and security aspects affecting operations and joint exercises.
2. It participates in the process of updating the Rules of Engagement (ROE) Catalogue and requests the collection of ROE it deems necessary for each operation.
3. Plan and conduct joint exercises necessary to ensure the operational effectiveness of assigned Army and Navy forces and for the evaluation of operational plans.
4. It manages LAMPs related to joint operations and exercises.
5. It will lead the targeting process at the operational level, for which it will have a Joint Targeting Centre as the main CMOPS tool for directing this process.
6. It will lead the planning, conduct and coordination of procedures and protocols in C-IED warfare, Force Protection in military operations and Electromagnetic Operations, for which it will have an Electromagnetic Operations Centre. It will determine the needs related to electromagnetic operations at the operational level, coordinating with the agencies responsible for their management and generation for joint operations and exercises.
7. The Operations Area (AOPE) is structured into a Technical Secretariat and the J2 (Intelligence), J3 (Operations), J5 (Plans), J7 (Exercises and Evaluation) and J9 (Influence) sections.

OPERATIONS COMMAND STAFF SUPPORT AREA

1. It will plan, direct, coordinate and manage the means necessary for the deployment, sustainment, withdrawal and support of the forces assigned to the operational structure of the SAF.
2. In coordination with the armies and the navy, it will manage and monitor the personnel deployed in operations under the CMOPS, also advising it on discipline and rewards.
3. It will propose the establishment of the necessary agreements or memorandums at the international level to support joint-combined operations and exercises, in particular those relating to the support to be provided to Spanish forces by other nations or organisations to guarantee or facilitate their support.
4. It will determine the needs of the Information and Telecommunications Systems (CIS) within the scope of its competences and will coordinate with the organisations responsible for the management of Information and Communications Systems and Technologies the maintenance of the means, all of this referring to those used in joint operations and exercises.
5. It is responsible for advising, planning and assisting in health matters in joint and joint-combined operations and exercises and for directing strategic medical evacuations.
6. It will exercise financial control over the support received and provided by other allied countries and the OISDs entrusted to it as a result of Spain's participation in military operations.
7. The Support Area is structured into a Technical Secretariat and the sections of J1 (Personnel and Administration), J4 (Logistics), J6 (CIS), J8 (Financial Resources) and JMED (Health).

1. The Joint Special Operations Command (MCOE) will be responsible for planning, conducting and monitoring special operations.
2. It will advise the JEMAD and the CMOPS on all matters relating to special operations.
3. It will facilitate the integration and interoperability of special operations capabilities. To this end, it will make proposals on technical, operational and interoperability aspects of the special operations units belonging to the SAF's organisational structure which may be transferred to the operational structure.
4. It will plan and conduct the joint exercises necessary to ensure the operational effectiveness of the special operations units assigned to it.
5. When so determined by the JEMAD, it will activate the Headquarters of a Special Operations Component Command with the capacity to meet national needs and international commitments in accordance with the military doctrine in force.
6. The Commander of the MCOE (CMCOE) will exercise command of the forces placed at his disposal and representation before the OISD in the field of special operations.

The MCOE will be structured as follows:

• Command.
• Staff of the Joint Special Operations Command (EMMCOE).

1. The Multinational Joint Headquarters Core (ES-OHQ) shall be responsible for facilitating the process of rapid and flexible activation of the Multinational Joint Headquarters offered to the European Union or other international organisations.
2. In addition, the ES-OHQ Core shall be responsible for ensuring its normal operation and maintenance in terms of facilities, procedures and means of Information Systems and Telecommunications.
3. In the event of its activation to conduct an operation, the personnel of the ES-OHQ Core will be integrated in the HQ under the command of the Operation Commander.

1. The Retamares Security and Services Headquarters (JESES-RETAMARES) will be the body responsible for maintaining the facilities of the Retamares Base, providing life and operational support to the base and to those units dependent on the JEMAD that are determined and to its components. He is accountable to the CMOPS in the exercise of his functions, as Head of the Retamares Base.
2. He will organise and direct the security required by the personnel assigned to the Retamares Base and its dependencies. He will carry out environmental, energy efficiency and occupational risk prevention activities at the Retamares Base.
3. It will provide support in the areas of preventive, assistance and expert medical care. Support the Armed Forces Religious Assistance Service (SEAREL) assigned to the Retamares Base.
4. It will provide information and support to all military personnel at Retamares Base in matters of interest to them, both professional and personal.
5. It will support the EMAD units at the Retamares Base in terms of transport and stationing.
6. He will carry out the definition, project and supervision of works in the establishments and installations of the EMAD units at the Retamares Base.
7. The Civil Guard Company (UGC-JESRET) deployed at the Retamares Base will have a functional dependency on the JESESES-RETAMARES.
8. The JESES-RETAMARES will be functionally related to the JESESES-CGEMAD within the scope of its functions and tasks.

The first regulatory reference to the Operations Command (MOPS) is registered in the Strategic Defence Review of February 2003. In this paper, not only is established the need for creating the MOPS in its Basic Criterion 5, but it is also stipulated that “the Chief of the Operations Command will exercise, under the Chief of the Defence Staff, management of the ground, naval and air forces needed for fulfilling of all the operational missions in time of peace, crisis or war. The present Command will conduct the pertinent exercises for joint and combined training, as well as evaluating the operational plans in force. It will also have a Joint Staff of operational nature”.

According to Spanish Royal Decree 1551/2004 of 25^th June, which develops the basic organizational structure of the Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces are organised into two different structures: an operational one, to be used in the assigned missions, and an organic one, for force preparation. The operational structure is then constituted by the Defence Staff, composed in turn by MOPS and the Joint Staff.

After issuing the Order of Ministry of Defence 1076/2005 of 19^th April, by which the structure of the Defence Staff is developed, together with the subsequent approval of the corresponding personnel, the implementation of the new operational structure is initiated, as established by Royal Decree 1551/2004.

In the middle  of year 2005, Operations Command's Staff  was activated, being appointed as first Chief of Staff  Major General Andrés Navas Ráez, Major (Air Force).

On January the 27th, 2006, the duty of first Commander of the Operations Command (CMOPS) was assigned to Lieutenant General of the Army, Mr. Bernardo Álvarez del Manzano Albiñana. He held this position until February 2008.

Former Commanders of the Operations Command

• Lieutenant General of the Army, Bernardo Álvarez del Manzano Albiñana, from January 2006 to February 2008.
• Lieutenant General of the Air Force, Andrés Navas Ráez, from February 2008 to September 2009.
• Lieutenant General of the Army, Jaime Domínguez Buj, from September 2009 to July 2012.
• Admiral Teodoro Esteban López Calderón, from July 2012 to April 2017.
• Lieutenant General of the Army, Fernando José López del Pozo,  from April 2017 to September 2020.
• Lieutenant General of the Air Force, Francisco Braco Carbó, since September 2020.