Deployment to Germany for exercise ‘Steadfast Dart 26’ begins

Convoy with some units

The paratrooper, helicopter, and special operations units of the Spanish Army participating in “Steadfast Dart 26” (STDT26)—the most important NATO exercise of the year—have completed their preparation. Accordingly, deployment movements to Germany began this week. The exercise will take place from 12 to 25 February.

The projection of the units to the exercise area involves a national deployment to the ports of embarkation—Cartagena (Murcia) and Santander—as well as a strategic deployment combining air, land, and sea transport, both civilian and military, including the Spanish Army logistics transport vessel Ysabel. This phase is scheduled to be completed by 5 February.

The Spanish Army contributes to NATO’s Allied Reaction Force Land Component Command with units from the “San Marcial” Division: the “Almogávares” Paratrooper Brigade VI provides an infantry battalion, a “Mistral” air defense artillery battery—with the capability to integrate into the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS)—a field artillery battery, an engineer company, and a logistics support unit acting as the National Support Element. In addition, the Spanish Army Airmobile Forces contribute, on the one hand, a unit consisting of two “Sarrio” aircraft (NH-90, commercial designation) integrated into the Italian helicopter battalion, and, on the other hand, two “Cougar” helicopters.

For its part, the Special Operations Command contributes support personnel to the Special Operations Component Command Headquarters, as well as a Signals unit—with reinforced personnel from the Navy and the Air and Space Force—a Special Operations Ground Task Group, and a logistics support unit.

Once in Germany, the units will begin their reception, concentration, and forward movement phase. They will move to the Trauen and Hohne training areas and subsequently enter a phase of integration into the various task groups.

An ambulance is part of the deployment