For the first time Spain leads a multinational tactical group in 'Precise Response'

Decontamination in a radiological scene

Recognising radiological contamination

Taking samples in a chemical site

For the first time, Spain has led a Multinational Tactical Group made up from various Identification Teams, Sample Collection Teams (SIBCRA in the Spanish acronym), Deactivation of Explosives Teams (EOD in its Spanish acronym) and Units of Decontamination from various countries in the last edition of the exercise “Precise Response”, developed from 9th -29th July in the Counterterrorism Technology Centre in Suffield (Alberta, Canada)

This centre is a world example in the NBC defence field because it allows the participants to work with real agents and to work in very realistic conditions. The Army, through the 1st NBC Regiment “Valencia” has spent many years participating and in this edition the SIBCRA Team and the Unit of Decontamination from the Specialized Technical Unit have joined them. Personnel from the NBC Battalion joined them and from the Command of Engineers, an official expert in the deactivation of explosives attended.

It must be emphasised, that this is the first time that the Spanish Unit of Deactivation has carried out a mission of personnel and material coming from a contaminated area with real agents and furthermore that that has been done with teams from allied countries such as France, Norway and Denmark.

Yperite, precursor of chemical weapons, radioactive isotopes of gallium and bromine, toxins from and bacteria were some of the agents used in the realistic scenes which they presented to the participants. This year, the biological scenes were especially complicated and the radiological studies and chemicals were of a very high level, but the Spanish representatives showed a high level of preparation to solve them and to organise, manager and lead the multinational teams.