The minister and the Chief of Staff of the Army highlight the work of the Special Operations Command

The Minister greets the soldiers

The exercise had the support of helicopters

Dogs were used in the demonstration

The Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Army, Francisco J. Varela Salas, highlighted the work carried out by the Special Operations Command, during their visit to the Álvarez Rojas Navarrete barracks in Rabassa, Alicante on the 10th of April.

Both were able to see first hand how Special Operations troops operate in extreme missions and operations. In that sense, the Minister of Defense called their work during the “Empecinado” exercise “spectcular and outstanding”. Furthermore, she emphasised that exercises such as this show that, “behind the scenes, there is a lot of work, many hours of training, readiness and effectiveness, in spite of the level of risk that it assumes.”

Robles emphasised that the Spanish Armed Forces and the Army are exceptional, at both national and international levels, as well as a reference point for Europe and NATO.

The troops conducted a demonstration of their capabilities and performed a simulation of a terrorist attack on an embassy. They also saw how they would manage the rescue of a hostage in extremely difficult conditions.

Likewise, the Minister stressed the commitment to increasing the number of women in Special Operations and noted that their role is “fundamental”. The objective, as she explained, is to increase the number of specialised soldiers in Special Operations from 900 to 1,300 and encourage the involvement of women in this field.

During the tour of the facilitities, they visited an exhibition showing cutting-edge equipment, including the latest technological innovations. In addition, they toured the departments of the operational base which were installed for the coordination of the exercise, which involved various groups from Special Operations.

After that, they moved to the Tibi reservoir, where they witnessed the launching of vessels from a Chinook and the work of expert divers in the water. Finally, to end the demonstration, a tactical display with real fire was staged in the Shooting and Manoeuvres Range in Agost.