2023-05-09 03:04:07
«Swift Response» or “Rapid Response” in Spanish. This is the name of what is considered the most important challenge and the “main effort” of the Army in 2023. And in particular, of the “Castillo” Division and the “Almogávares” 6th Paratroopers Brigade (BRIPAC)which will have a leading role these multinational maneuvers organized by the Army United States in Europe and Africa. A challenge, yes, well, not in vain is the first time an ally is in front of a phase of these exercises, in which around 9,000 employees of a dozen allied countries.
Because «Swift Response» is one of the three exercises that make up «Defender Europe» and it will take place until May 20 in Spain, Estonia and Greece. And the objective is none other than to prepare the forces of NATO quick reaction in the face of any crisis. “A key preparation to ensure that combat forces are ready and ranked in the theater to respond to any threat against our NATO allies and partners,” said the US general a few days ago Darryl A. Williams, Commander of Allied Ground Command.
Three scenarios, three multinational brigades, fifteen battalions, ten countries… An important show of force with a clear recipient: Vladimir Putin. Because in these maneuvers, “the allies and partners will demonstrate the interoperability combined and joint, and the ability to perform large scale operations at the battalion and brigade level,” as Williams explained. And he added, in the form of a warning to Russia: “Such actions provide a deterrent effect key in today’s dynamic security environment and ensure that we are ready to fight and win if deterrence fails».
Initial Entry Operations
And this year, the Spanish Army has a role hero at two key points in these maneuvers. The main one, direct three initial input operations joint through the parachute drop in three different scenarios: Spain, Estonia and Greece. A very delicate moment in any military mission, as these are usually the first units to arrive on the scene to secure the ground or for initial reconnaissance work.
The person in charge of this important mission will be the “Castillo” Division of Huesca, which has generated a multinational division for this exercise (keeping their own name) of which some 6,000 soldiers from ten countries, among which there are more than 1,000 Spaniards from different units.
And it will control everything from the “Sancho Ramírez” barracks, where the command post with about 150 military of USA, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Spainwhich contributes 130.
“High Intensity Response to a Crisis”
There, at the Huesca base, they carry months preparing, developing together with other allies a series of planning exercises, among which was included the one that they are going to execute these days: a military operation of «response to a potential crisis situation which could require a high-intensity effort on European territory”, as the Army explained at the time. And in that Command Post, the “brain” of any mission, the work of the troops of the Transmission Regiment No. 1 and its telecommunications and information systems.
From there they will coordinate the execution of the three airborne operations with parachute drops, which in the case of Spain will take place at the National Training Center “Saint Gregory” from Zaragoza. Very close, in the air base of this city and in the Navarrese aerodrome of Ablitasthe transport planes and helicopters that will transport the troops to the objective will be positioned.
This “Castillejos” Division created for the exercise is made up of three multinational brigades led by Poland, the United States and Spain. Each of them, deployed in one of the countries where the maneuvers take place. And the one that commands our country is made up of five battalions and created on the basis of Flag “Roger de Flor” of the BRIPACwhich provides the bulk of the staff, although there are also members of the Air Mobile Forces of the Army (FAMET) and the Logistics Brigade (BRILOG). In total, the brigade led by Spain is made up of about 2,800 employeesof which around 880 are Spanish. The rest, Americans, Italians, Portuguese, hungarians y frenchwho make up the joint entry force that will parachute into San Gregorio tomorrow.
Simultaneous jumps in Estonia and Greece
Simultaneously, close to 1,300 uniformed of four different nationalities will jump in Estoniawhile 1.700 from three countries will do it in Greecethe other two objectives in which these first entry forces will be deployed to open the way for the rest of the troops.
And like the division itself, the troops of the BRIPAC They have also been preparing for this operation for some time. Thus, for example, they were already carrying out jumps with the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade (based in Vicenza, Italy) a few months ago. This US unit will deploy troops in both Spain and Greece.
And once all the units are on the ground, the uniformed officers will carry out a live fire exercise in each of the three scenarios in which “Swift Response” takes place.
“Demanding and complex challenge”
«A demanding and complex challenge, with a higher degree of ambition when proposing an exercise in which the ”Castillejos” Division will assume, for the first time, the command and control of units of different nationalities, facilitating their interoperability, integrating into multinational operational structures and leading combined operations in various scenarios in Europe”. With these words the Army defines what these maneuvers entail and the responsibility of leading one of their most important phases.
That is why I value them very positively: «This type of exercise is essential to maintain proper preparation of the Land Army. Preparation that enables you to build effective operating organizations and to plan and lead operations in any situation», sentence.
«Swift Response» It is just one of the three maneuvers that together make up the exercise under US command. «Defender Europe» (the other two are “Immediate Response” and “Saber Guardian”) and which together involve more than 24,000 military up close to one twenty countries allies, 7,000 of them from the United States. With these operations, which will last until the end of Juneseeks to improve both the interoperability between allied armies such as the ability to react y act quickly together.
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