Cuartel General Terrestre de Alta Disponibilidad (CGTAD)

In the middle of 1999, NATO defined the new strategic concept. This new concept embraced the theory that, after overcoming the cold war, the allied forces could act abroad in several scenarios at the same time. Taking into account this new concept, the Alliance started a new review process of the Forces structure, from which the necessity of permanent forces and HQs, easily deployable, with a high readiness level and able to assume all kind of missions from conventional war-fighting to peace keeping operations emerged. With this purpose, NATO proposed this aim to all its members. The Spanish Government considered it to be of utmost importance to set up one of these HQs, because it would allow the Spanish Army to lead multinational operations within or outside NATO territory.

This is how the Spanish Rapid Deployable Corps (HQ NRDC-SP) was activated at the beginning of the year 2000. The army started a frenetic process to train the necessary personnel and dedicate the vital means to achieve the training and organizing levels to become a High Readiness force on time. The HQ NRDC-SP Detail Implementation Plan (DIP) was sent to NATO on the 30th of June 2001.The Interim Operational Capability (IOC) was achieved in May 2002, and the Full Operational Capability (FOC) in November of the same year. In January 2003 we were declared fully certified as an NRDC by SACEUR.