Outstanding performance of the Spanish Army in the Swift Response 2024 Exercise.

Boarding the A400

The Spanish Army successfully concludes its participation in the Swift Response 24 exercise, which is part of the series of exercises Steadfast Defender 24, with the completion of the withdrawal of the participating units scheduled for May 24th. This exercise, carried out in several locations in Europe, including Hungary, Romania and Sweden, has sought to strengthen the interoperability and rapid response capacity of allied forces in crisis situations, thus reaffirming the collective commitment to deterrence and defense of the Alliance's territory.

More than 5,000 military personnel from various NATO nations have participated in Swift Response 24, with Spain contributing 480 military personnel, coming from the Parachute Brigade (BRIPAC), the Army Air Mobile Forces (FAMET) and the Group of Obtention by Air Systems No. 4 (GROSA IV) of the Intelligence Regiment No. 1. For the occasion, FAMET has deployed five helicopters in Romania, including a CH-47 Chinook, two NH-90 and two Tiger attack helicopters and GROSA IV has contributed a PASI (Autonomous Sensing Intelligence Platform) flight unit. The latter has been a milestone in the Group's history, as it is the first time that the PASI system has been deployed in a foreign country after its visit to Afghanistan. With this deployment of means, the versatility and capacity of Spanish air units in multinational operations has become evident. In addition, during the exercise, operations with Spanish participation have included launches from the Papa air base in Hungary to the Turda area in Romania, and from the Aviano base in Italy to Hagshult in Sweden.

The highlight of the exercise for the Spanish troops was the parachute jump in Turda, Romania, with units from Germany, the United States, France and the Netherlands. In addition, in Sweden, BRIPAC paratroopers performed significant tactical maneuvers, culminating in an exchange of "rokiskis" (chest shield used by those soldiers who have the parachuting course) with American paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, symbolizing the strong camaraderie between Allied forces.

The Swift Response 24 exercise has not only allowed to improve the tactical skills of the participating units, but has also served once again to demonstrate Spain's commitment to NATO and the collective defense of Europe. The excellent coordination and collaboration among participating nations underscores the importance of interoperability for regional security.

Participants in the exercise