The Army, a key piece in exercise ''Sur''

The Army has contributed nearly 800 troops to “Sur”, the most important annual exercise to be carried out in Spain involving a catastrophe scenario which leads to the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency. On this occasion, the exercise took place from 4 to 7 April in Ceuta and the province of Seville.

These exercises are organised by the Military Emergencies Unit, whose commander would assume operational responsibility when a level 3 alert is declared. However, the role of the Army is key due to its contribution in terms of number of troops, resources, capabilities and general support.

Among the Army units which took place, those playing the most prominent role were Ceuta General Command, the Legion Brigade, the Army Airmobile Forces, Signals Command, Engineering Command, the Medical Brigade, the Logistic Brigade, the NBC Defence Regiment and the Civilian-Military Cooperation Battalion.

Earthquake risk

The fictitious scenario designed for this edition of the exercise is a catastrophe derived from an earthquake with its epicentre near the Andalusian capital, Seville, which led to other technological and environmental emergencies with serious repercussions for the whole of the Seville province and the autonomous city of Ceuta.

In order to deal with those emergencies, nearly 5,000 personnel from different bodies and administrations resorted to specific capabilities such as search and rescue, dealing with hazardous substances, massive decontamination, and the reconnaissance and identification of polluting substances after major accidents.

The exercise required implementing the coordination, collaboration and cooperation procedures between the Armed Forces, the Military Emergencies Unit and the rescue services which are stipulated in the National Civil Protection Plans. In addition, it served to check the effectiveness of the National Earthquake Risk Management Plan.

The Legion Brigade took part in the exercise (Photo:BRILEG)