Activity has increased in the Lest maneuver field, the town 350 kilometers from Bratislava that serves as a base for NATO and where Spain is deployed. If the daily life of the 1,100 soldiers who have been carrying out the mission of defending the eastern front from Slovakia for a year was already hectic, the upcoming events have forced changes in routines and increased efforts. Spain leads for the first time a multinational NATO brigade. A mission that was proposed after the 2022 Summit and that, three years later, will flex its muscles with Strong Lineage 25, the exercise with which they aim to show enemies of the eastern front - led by Putin - that they can triple the force on the ground in a matter of hours in case of need.
On January 20, 2024, the Armed Forces began the progressive deployment in Slovakia. Currently, Spain leads the multinational NATO brigade and maintains a permanently deployed multinational Task Force in the town of Lest. During the first semester of that year, Spanish forces were deployed on the ground, and as of July 1, 2024, they took command of the Task Force.
NATO is working on interoperability, and between June 6 and 10, the Slovakia mission will receive certifiers from the organization to demonstrate that this general rehearsal works. Spain has been preparing for this moment for a year. They deployed the first rotation last summer, and in October, they had the beta exercise to test the coordination of the soldiers deployed on the ground. At that time, the rest of the force was not involved, as they have been on call in their respective barracks since the mission began. There are 1,900 soldiers deployed in Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Romania, and Turkey. So far, they have been ready and alert to deploy in a short period of time.
Since April, contributing countries have developed procedures to ensure the projection, transfer, and integration of their capabilities from their respective places of origin, as well as the transfer of forces to the NATO chain. In the case of Spain, this activation has involved the projection of more than 650 soldiers, with all their equipment and material, mainly belonging to the Brilat.
And that day will come on June 6. For the first time, the operational growth test to Brigade will be carried out. Led by General Alfonso Pardo de Santayana, it involves both its activation and the projection of different units and capabilities to Slovakia, as well as validating that this large unit is ready to protect NATO territory in eastern Europe against any threat to the peace and security of allied countries and their population.
400 support vehicles have been embarked on the operation to reinforce the force on the eastern front.EMAD
A challenge of 3,000 soldiers to which, in addition to the troops, 400 combat vehicles will be added as the main tactical reinforcement. In addition to the support provided by the Slovakia Army Helicopter Unit of the Spanish Army, which last Thursday began its deployment at the Malacky Air Base to reinforce the Spanish contribution to protecting the eastern flank of NATO. This includes two Tiger helicopters, one Caiman, and two Chinooks. The Deputy Chief of the Slovak Defense Staff, Major General Miroslav Lorinc, has acknowledged that "the Spanish unit arrives not only with equipment and experience but also with a spirit of professionalism, commitment, and loyalty to the Alliance (...). Their presence strengthens us, not only militarily but also in values."
Beyond Slovakia, where the maneuvers led by Spain will take place, the message to be conveyed is clear. NATO is rehearsing to be able to deploy 30,000 soldiers on the eastern flank of the Alliance within 10 days. If there were an attack on the organization's territory and Article 5 were invoked, which states that an aggression on any member's territory is an attack on all, they are prepared. Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine, such a rapid deployment of that magnitude had never been rehearsed.
These maneuvers strengthen the discourse of neighboring countries with Russia, such as the Baltics, which have been warning for years about the expansionist threat posed by having Vladimir Putin as a neighbor. A threat that has not diminished with Trump's arrival at the White House and seems unlikely to end.
FOUR RUSSIAN SHIPS MONITORED IN SPANISH WATERS
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian ships have been playing cat and mouse with various European navies. They navigate through community waters, assuming they will be followed by a ship, but at a respectful distance without provoking hostilities.
This week, the Spanish Navy patrol boat 'Tagomago' monitored and conducted intelligence operations on four units of the Russian navy as they passed through national waters of interest. According to the Defense Staff, this action took place during its Presence, Surveillance, and Deterrence Operation in the Alboran Sea area, where it also carried out maritime surveillance tasks, consisting of verification and control of maritime traffic activities, to ensure freedom of navigation and naval presence.