The 'Almogávares' VI Brigade participated in the 'Swift Response'exercise

The “Almogávares”VI Parachute Brigade (BRI) participated in the “Swift Response” exercise, held between May 6th and 19th. Specifically, it was in the scene of Norway and North Macedonia.

In the first of them, a patrol of the VI BRI has been constituted as an advanced step, working as an in-depth reconnaissance patrol for the 4-25 Brigade of the United States, that led the operation. After its infiltration, this patrol gave information about the objectives and the drop zone, directly to the command post of the Brigade. In this command post, a liaison team of three soldiers of the VI BRI was included, whose mission was to secure communications with the reconnaissance team and to participate in the last phase of the planning of the operation, on the basis of the information given by the Spanish patrol. This liaison team had the opportunity to participate in the launch from Alaska over Norway, carrying out the in-flight equipment over the Arctic Circle. Although the weather eventually prevented them from carrying through the launch at the last moment, the procedure was accomplished completely, which marked a milestone, being the first time that an air formation of such magnitude – with 15 aircrafts-, carried out this procedure in a more than ten hours long flight.

Curiously, it is noteworthy that the liaison team, during the planning phase, had occasion to perform a training jump in Alaska, being the first time that the personnel of the Army jumped over this remote region.

In the operation over North Macedonia, a platoon of the VI BRI was integrated into an Italian battalion jumping from Livorno (Italy) within the force entrance over the scene of North Macedonia with the aggregation of a platoon of parachutists to the “Folgore” Italian Parachute Brigade. This great Italian unit constituted a Task Force taking the II Italian parachute battalion of the 187 Regiment as a base; internallythe Spanish platoon was framed within the “Falchi” 4th Italian parachute company. The parachutists of the “Roger de la Flor”company were concentrated for the preparation for the operation in the “Folgore” Brigade base in the city of Livorno (Italy).

After the preparation for the operation, the Spanish platoon jumped over the bridgehead in North Macedonia after a flight in air training with Italian and American means composed of four C-130 aircrafts and air support in the area of the A-10 American fixed-wing means. The launch was carried out safely and the Spanish platoon closed its sector in the bridgehead together with its S/GT. This permitted the rest of the force projection. The operation continued, and with the own means of the “Folgore” Task Force, the crossing of the river Vardar was carried out to go on with the maneuvers on the Krivolak training field, in North Macedonia. At this point and during the following 24 hours, the platoon occupied different settlements providing security to the mortar units at all times.

The purpose of the delegation of the VI BRI in this scene was clear: the improvement of interoperability and the exchange of specific parachutist and command and control procedures at battalion and lower level.

This exercise has shown the enormous projection of the component units of the VI BRI at any level, the very high degree of individual experience of the legionaries and parachutists and the good training of our units in the national territory.

Launch in North Macedonia

“Swift Response” exercise

Directed by the US Command for Europe, this exercise has been carried out since 2015 and it tests the ability of this country and its allies to conduct operations of initial entrance by parachute launch.

This 2022 edition has involved the conducting of up to five large-scale parachute operations. The Norway and North Macedonia ones, in which the VI BRI participated, are joined by the Lithuania, Latvia and Georgia ones.