The CBRN Defence Regiment is ready for Canada after getting past the ‘Ánfora’ exercise

In the ‘Ánfora’ exercise, carried out from the 17th to the 27th of June in the ‘La Marañosa’ Technical Institute in Madrid, the 1st ‘Valencia’ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence Regiment fine tuned its staff who will participate in NATO’s ‘Precise Response’ exercise in Canada – one of the most important CBRN exercises in the world.

The contingent had to intervene in three situations: a secret laboratory for the synthesis of mustard gas; the search for sources of radiological caesium and cobalt hidden in a workshop; and a genetic laboratory where they do research on strains of Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) and Yersinia Pestis.

This required operational planning and execution and initial recognition, handing over from a Reconnaissance Group from the CBRN Battalion to the staff from the Identification and Sample Collection Team from the Technical Unit, decontamination of staff and equipment, safeguarding the samples and the procedures for submitting them to the referral laboratory which is entrusted with the analysis of the samples.

Along with military staff, representatives from the CBRN and Energetic Materials Defence Department of the Sub-Directorate General of Land Systems from the National Institute of Aerospace Technology also participated, and were supervised and evaluated by scientific-technical staff from ‘La Marañosa’.

The ‘Ánfora’ exercise was the final confirmation test for the CBRN Defence Regiment staff who will travel to Canada in July to join NATO’s ‘Precise Response’ exercise, in which they will train in various situations with real CBRN agents.