MILEX 26: EU deploys 2,500 troops in Spain to test its rapid reaction

Spain is hosting the MILEX 26 military exercise this month at the San Gregorio Training Centre in Zaragoza, manoeuvres organised by the European Union to assess the response capability of its Rapid Deployment Force in international crisis scenarios.

Around 2,500 troops from 13 member states are taking part in the exercise, of whom more than 1,600 are Spanish.

The aim of the drills is to test the functioning of the Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC), an EU initiative designed to strengthen its ability to respond to crises and improve coordination between EU’s armed forces.

The deployment is already under way and will culminate on 18 June with a live-fire tactical demonstration before civilian and military authorities, in which the participating forces will respond to a fictional crisis scenario. The exercise is designed to put European military coordination to the test at strategic, operational and tactical levels.

Strategic command is in the hands of the EU’s Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), based in Brussels. At operational level, Eurocorps is deployed in Zaragoza as the force headquarters, while on the ground the EU Battlegroup (EUBG26) is under Spanish leadership.

The core unit of this battlegroup is the Canary Islands Brigade XVI, part of the Canary Islands Command, which provides a large share of the deployed personnel.

Helicopters, drones, tanks and electronic warfare

The participating task force is built around Infantry Regiment Soria No. 9 and also includes a Portuguese Army company, as well as artillery, engineering, nuclear, biological and chemical defence units, unmanned aerial vehicles, military police, canine teams and signals units.

The drills also feature dedicated medical support, force protection, transport helicopters, intelligence and reconnaissance, information operations and electronic warfare. Among the assets deployed are Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks, Pizarro infantry fighting vehicles, reconnaissance drones and Super Puma and AB-212 helicopters from the Canary Islands.

Civil Guard units specialised in investigations, border control and interventions are also taking part. One of the most complex aspects of the exercise has been the transfer of troops and equipment from the Canary Islands to the mainland. The deployment is unfolding in five phases and is moving personnel, vehicles and military equipment by sea and air.

The operation will make it possible to assess not only the combat capability of the units involved, but also how quickly the European Union can mobilise and project forces in a crisis scenario.