"Iron Guardians" to Protect the Skies

 

General Bonal was present during the exercise

The Nasams missile system has a 25 kilometre range

Command post in the exercise

Beatriz Gonzalo/Madrid

The alliance between Electronic Warfare assets and those of Anti-aircraft Artillery to combat in a hostile electromagnetic environment was consolidated in exercise "Iron Guard", organised by NATO from 8th to 15th May and which had, on behalf of the Spanish, the participation of the 73rd Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment.

This regiment served as the core to constitute two Anti-aircraft Defence Units –one located in Mazarrón (Murcia), with its Nasams missile system and Mistral fire units and another in the Aitana mountain range (Alicante), with its Aspide missile system-, which faced air incursions protected by cutting edge Electronic Warfare assets and took part in anti-aircraft system countermeasures, by means of Electronic Warfare equipment mounted on land assets.

The exercise is within the Electronic Warfare environment combat training programme, scheduled with the aim of training units included within the NATO Integrated Air Defence System.

Training for Pilots

Moreover, the DELTA Anti-aircraft Defence Unit, with support from the Anti-aircraft Artillery Command Signals Unit, faced attack from various nations’ fighter-bomber groups on objectives which were in the scope of their defence.

This gave anti-aircraft system operators the opportunity to train with a great variety of aircraft -F-16, F-4, Mirage 2000, Tornado, Eurofighter and MiG-29-, at the same time as their pilots were trained.

To this end, the exercise was also within the NATO pilot training programme called Tactical Leadership Programme, aimed at creating a school of excellence, and  based in Albacete.