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Issue #3 • April 2020 2,10 € ESPAÑOLA REVISTA DE DEFENSA

ALL UNITED AGAINST COVID-19 ESPAÑOLA REVISTA DE DEFENSA We talk about defence NOW ALSO IN ENGLISH CONTENTS

Managing Editor: Yolanda Rodríguez Vidales. Editor in Chief: Víctor Hernández Martínez. Heads of section. International: Rosa Ruiz Fernández. Art Director: Rafael Navarro. Par- liament and Opinion: Fernández del Vado. Culture: Esther P. Martínez. Photogra- phy: Pepe Díaz. Sections. National: Elena Tarilonte. Armed Forces: José Luis Expósito Montero. Photography and Archive: Hélène Gicquel Pasquier. Layout: Eduardo Fernández Salvador. Collaborators: Juan José Crespo 7 Letter of the Spanish Minister of Defence Esbert and María Senovilla. Featured in this thanks all the personnel of her Department for their dedication edition: Francisco José Dacoba Cerviño, Jor- and generosity in this health crisis. ge Domecq Fernández, Mar Hidalgo García and Fernando Martínez Laínez. Translators: Fuensanta Zaballa Gómez, Paloma Muñoz de 8 , in a state of alarm la Morena, Gráinne Mary Gahan and María The Ministry of Defence uses all its capabilities to collaborate in the management Sarandeses Fernández-Santaeulalia. of the health emergency. 12 Operation Balmis, every day is Monday The Armed Forces support the population and public services in their efforts to contain the epidemic. Published by: Ministerio de Defensa. Editing: C/ San Nicolás, 11. 28013 . Phone Num- 27 A battle we all must fight bers: 91 516 04 31/19 (management), 91 516 The deploys a plan of coordination and solidarity and the European 04 17/91 516 04 21 (editing). Fax: 91 516 04 18. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.defensa. Union and NATO activate their response mechanisms. gob.es. Administration, distribution and subs- criptions: Subdirección de Publicaciones y Patrimonio Cultural: C/ Camino de Ingenieros, 6. 30 A growing threat in the 21st century 28047-Madrid. Phone: 91 364 74 21. Fax: 91 364 Senior Analyst of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE), Mar Hidalgo García, 74 07. Email: [email protected]. Adverti- writes about the international response capacity to tackle pandemics. sing: Editorial MIC. C/ Artesiano, s/n. Pol. Ind. Tro- bajo del Camino. 24010 León. Phone number: 902 27 19 02. Fax: 902 37 19 02. Email: direccion@ editorialmic.com/[email protected]. Photomechanic and printing: Ministerio de De- fensa D. L.: M-40176-2019. NIPO: 083-20-102-2 (Paper edition). NIPO: 083-20-103-8 (On line edi- PERSPECTIVE tion pdf). ISSN: 2695-6284 (Paper). ISSN: 2695- 6292 (Internet). Price: 2.10 (VAT included). 40 Spanish Institute for Canarias, and : 2.10 euros (without VAT, transportation included). Suscriptions: Espa- Strategic Studies (IEEE) ña: 21.03 euros; : 27.04 euros; rest Francisco José Dacoba Cerviño, Director of de world: 36.06 euros. of the IEEE, analyses the 50 years of existence of this centre and the geopolitical Editorial Board: Yolanda Rodríguez Vidales (chair- changes of the last five decades. person), Esperanza Casteleiro Llamazares, Amador Fernando Enseñat y Berea, Pedro Méndez de Vigo y Montojo, Antonino Cordero Aparicio, José Luis Figuero Aguilar, Carlos Pérez Martínez, Juan Fran- cisco Arrazola Martínez, Gonzalo Sanz Alisedo and ARMED FORCES José Antonio Gutiérrez Sevilla.

The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do 34 Allies in Bétera not necessarily reflect the positions of the REVISTA ESPAÑOLA NATO Rapid Deployable DE DEFENSA. The editors of the magazine are not obliged to correspond with the authors of the contributions or to reply to any Spain Headquarters is this year unsolicited letters. available to the Alliance for use as Cover photo: Pepe Díaz a joint force command.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 3

CONTENTS

TECHNOLOGY 44 NEXT GENERATION WEAPON SYSTEM Article co-written by the Spanish, German and French Air Force Chiefs of Staff, partners in the NGWS project.

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS 46 Lieutenant 50 General Jorge Domecq, outgoing Chief Executive, writes about the role of the EDA as a tool to build a stronger Juan of Defence. Montenegro Spanish Military Representative to NATO and European Union Military Committees points out that “NATO and the EU are two sides of the same coin: our security” and highlights Spain’s unwavering commitment to both organizations.

LAST SECTION 58 TV Series “Sin límites” RTVE and Amazon HISTORY Prime Video produce a TV series about the feat of the first round- Pioneering women the-world sea voyage, in the armed forces with the participation of Ladies who were ahead of their time to participate in the Spanish Ministry of 52 Defence and the Navy. military life.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 5 6 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 To all personnel of the Ministry of Defence

Margarita Robles Fernández Minister of Defence

Madrid, 2 April 2020

would like to express my feelings to line, helping where they are most needed, who you in writing. As Minister of Defence, go out every day all over Spain to every town, I never thought I would be writing to to the health centres, to the nursing homes, to you with such deep words of gratitude set up field hospitals, transfer the sick, or carry as I do today, not out of commitment or out all types of tasks to support the most needy obligationI but because it seems to me an act of and vulnerable. The efforts of the justice and encouragement. The situation caused (EMAD), the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) by this major health crisis, as you well know, has and the Inspectorate-General for Defence given rise to a level of dedication and generosity Health (IGESAN) deserve a special mention, in you that deserves my express recognition. as do so many units of the , Navy and Air Force and of this Department. I believe you have risen and will continue to rise to the occasion in the face of the difficulties It is only fair to thank all of the Ministry that afflict us. You have demonstrated and personnel, civil servants, contract staff, statutory continue to demonstrate every day your spirit staff, who make everyone’s job possible. of service and I am aware that, despite the hardship, you feel the satisfaction of having done Spain is proud to count on this team of your duty. Thank you for your collaboration women and men, both military and civilian, and for working constantly, without despair, from the Ministry of Defence. silently, humbly and effectively. Thank you for the excellence you show in the way you live I would also like to stress the warm welcome through these difficulties at the service of the accorded to our units wherever they have common good. carried out their work. This strengthens the integration of the Armed Forces with Spanish I would particularly like to acknowledge all society, a society they are part of and which those women and men who are on the front they serve.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 7 The Ministry of Defence is using all of its capabilities to collaborate in the management of the health crisis SPAIN, IN A STATE OF ALARM

“The Government’s determination is paramount: to protect the citizens and beat the virus”, affirmed Pedro Sánchez.

8 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 state of alarm has been imposed the end of 2019 in a market in Wuhan, a alarm had already suspended all of their all over Spain to stop the spread populous city in central China, which is exercises and manoeuvres to avoid the of the coronavirus and the the cause of the COVID-19 or coronavirus movement of troops that could lead to the country is immersed in a grave disease. From there, the outbreak has spread of the disease, are collaborating health crisis of unforeseeable spread rapidly throughout the entire world with all their available capabilities in the consequences.A Its population of 47 in recent weeks. On March 11th, the World fight against the pandemic. With Air million people are isolated in their homes Health Organization (WHO) elevated General Miguel Ángel Villarroya, Chief in an enormous confinement operation. the public health emergency caused by of the Defence Staff (JEMAD), as single Not only has this measure brought the the virus to the status of a pandemic. At command, the Armed Forces have economy to a standstill but it is also the time of writing, more than 1,200,000 collaborated with the Security Forces taking a psychological toll on people people were infected and 70,000 had and Corps in the control and surveillance and their families as the weeks go by. died from the pandemic, which is present of public spaces; they have disinfected Worldwide, the pandemic has shaken in more than 200 countries and territories essential services facilities; reinforced most of humanity: it has hit the economy, around the world. In Spain —together with civilian medical capabilities with the changed the daily lives of millions of , the epicentre of the crisis in Europe— mobilization of the military healthcare and people, put entire regions into quarantine over 135,000 people have been infected pharmacy; helped set up field hospitals and rekindled citizens’ ancestral fears. and more than 13,000 have lost their lives. and medicalised hotels; airlifted medical The origin can be found in a minuscule The Armed Forces, who in the days supplies and helped distribute them; agent: the SARS-CoV-2 virus, identified at prior to the declaration of the state of transferred patients between hospitals Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

From left to right, the Ministers of the Interior, Health, Defence and Transport, who appeared on March 15th to explain the initial measures to reinforce the state of alarm.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 9 and cared for the homeless; protected sic necessities and in other, singular, The Prime Minister called for unity critical infrastructures; conducted cyber- cases. Also suspended are sports and of action among all authorities. “There defence tasks, etc. leisure activities; hotels and restaurants; are no political colours, no ideologies, parades and popular festivals, etc., while no territories,” he said. “Our citizens ALARM museums, archives, libraries, monuments, come first”. He asked the latter for On Saturday, March 14th, an extraordinary etc., are closed. “responsibility, social discipline and a Council of Ministers approved the sense of community.” He tried to give Royal Decree declaring a state of alarm THE CITIZENS TAKE CENTRE STAGE them hope, assuring them that the throughout the national territory for a The Prime Minister made a public emergency of the virus would pass. “And period of fifteen days. It was published in appearance on the night of Saturday, then”, he said, “we will be able to return the Official State Gazette (BOE) that night March 14th, following an intense seven- to the streets and the terraces. We will go and entered into force. Subsequently, hour Council of Ministers —one of the back to the routine of our jobs and visit a Royal Decree of March 27th extended longest in the history of the democracy— our friends and loved ones again. We will the state of alarm until midnight on April which decreed a state of alarm. In an take our children to the park and prepare 11th. This measure is provided for in the epic speech, with calls for serenity for the next phase: social and economic Constitution to deal with emergency and trust, Pedro Sánchez assured that recovery and the return to normality”. situations and has only one precedent the Government’s determination was in our democracy, that of the air traffic “paramount: to protect the Spanish THE VIRUS THAT BROUGHT controller crisis in 2010. people and beat the virus”. “People’s A COUNTRY TO A STANDSTILL “For the purposes of the state of health is at the centre of our priorities”, he It all happened so fast. Even in the alarm”, states the first Royal Decree, explained, “but at the same time we must first week of March, the coronavirus “the competent authority shall be the attend directly to our families, the workers, was something that was happening Government”. It adds that, under the the self-employed and businesses”. somewhere else, far away, or to some “senior management” of the unlucky people. In Europe it head of the Executive, four was Italy that was in shock competent authorities are and the measures it took created, “in their respective were seen as alien, even areas of responsibility”: the exaggerated. No one thought Minister of Defence, Margarita the disease was going to Robles; the Minister of the reach Spain. But just one Interior, Fernando Grande- week later on Saturday 14th, Marlaska; the Minister of when the state of alarm was Transport, Mobility and Ur- declared, figures already ban Agenda, José Luis stood at 6,400 infections and Ábalos; and the Minister of 193 deaths. Health, Salvador Illa. The There had been a huge latter shall have authority in jump on the previous Monday those areas that do not fall 9th, when figures reached within the competence of 1,200 infections, twice as any of the aforementioned House of His Majesty the King many as the day before. In authorities. This rank entitles Three days after the state of alarm was declared, King Felipe VI addressed the evening, the autonomous the competent authorities to the country to ask for “unity” and “solidarity”. communities of Madrid and the issue any orders, resolutions, Basque Country announced provisions and instructions which, in Sánchez clarified that the State Security the closure of their primary and secondary the specific field of their activity, are Forces and Corps and the regional and schools. necessary to ensure health and safety. local Police Forces are under the direct On Thursday 12th, following several The Royal Decree specifies that the orders of the Minister of the Interior, on days’ growth in the number of cases, the delegated competent authorities may whom the intervention and assistance alarm was raised about the saturation of request the action of the Armed Forces. It services in civil protection emergencies hospitals in Madrid and other cities on also establishes that the military involved also depend. He also added that “at the virus front line, such as Vitoria. The in tasks within the framework of the all times and whenever necessary to President of the , coronavirus crisis are agents of authority. complete our task efficiently and comply Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the Mayor of In the state of alarm, the movement of with measures, we will have the action of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, citizens is restricted as much as possible; the Armed Forces at our disposal. The for the first time in Spain, told people: on-site educational activity is suspended army is already prepared for this”. “To the “Don’t go out, stay at home”. The at all levels, as is retail commercial Armed Forces who join this task, already “Yomequedoencasa” label was already activity, except for the purchase of ba- on alert, thank you”, he stressed. circulating on social networks. That same

10 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Pool Moncloa/J. M. Cuadrado The Prime Minister and the four delegated competent authorities during a meeting of the Coronavirus Technical Management Committee. day, all the autonomous communities of resources in our history”, he said on does not affect goods to avoid production suspended classes. By nightfall there Tuesday 17th at the press conference and the supply chain coming to a halt. were 3,000 cases, up 800 on the previous following the Council of Ministers. Within The King addressed the country on the day at the same time. The crisis had this framework, actions will be put into place night of Wednesday 18th. King Felipe VI definitely risen to national level, the in four priority areas: supporting families; called on all Spaniards to show “unity” and population had suddenly become aware protecting employment; injecting liquidity “solidarity” and expressed his admiration of the problem and the collapse of the into the business fabric; and strengthening for the health professionals, “Spain’s health system was feared. scientific research to develop a vaccine vanguard in the fight against this disease”, On the morning of Friday 13th, the against the virus. During this week and the recalling that, “from streets all over Spain”, streets of Madrid were empty, particularly following weeks, measures will be taken to “moving and heartfelt, sincere and just on the outskirts, although in the centre extend protection to the most vulnerable applause” could be heard for their work. a few solitary tourists and passers-by groups. “This virus will not stop us”, he declared. could still be seen. It was then that Pedro The state of alarm was also amended “On the contrary, it will make us stronger as Sánchez announced he would declare a in certain aspects: new restrictions were a society: a society that is more committed, state of alarm. placed on movement and more exceptions more supportive, more united, standing up were made for shops that could remain to any adversity”. REINFORCEMENT MEASURES open, such as veterinary clinics; the On Sunday 29th, the Government In order to launch a set of measures to authorities were given the power to tightened the general confinement of reinforce the state of alarm, the Prime suspend any activity that could pose a risk the population by approving the total Minister and the four delegated competent of contagion; and the door was opened restriction of movement, except for authorities met at Moncloa Palace on for any future amendments by the Ministry workers in essential activities. By then, the Sunday 15th. These measures were aimed of Health. In line with the decisions taken figures in Spain had already surpassed at strengthening the National Health by the European Union, the Government 72,000 infections and 5,600 deaths. System, reducing the supply of public closed the land borders, after Spain had In the extraordinary plenary sessions of passenger transport services under the suspended the Schengen Agreement to March 18th and 25th, Parliament, with a half- jurisdiction of the State —road, rail, air contain the spread of the virus. The closure empty chamber to avoid contagion, gave and sea— by 50%, establishing common the green light to the state of alarm and criteria for all of the Security Forces and its extension, as well as to the economic Corps and initiating defence actions. On “This virus will and social measures adopted. Pedro the same day, Margarita Robles chaired Sánchez appeared on Saturday, April 4th to a coordination meeting at the Ministry make us stronger announce the holding of another plenary where the actions to be undertaken by the session to debate a new extension, until Armed Forces were discussed and the midnight on April 26th. In this appearance single command was activated. as a society”, the Prime Minister sent a hopeful message: Pedro Sánchez also announced “In the next few days”, he said, “the curve a 200-billion- emergency plan to declared King will bend and the peak will be left behind; cushion the impact of the crisis. “This is the we are close to reaching it”. greatest economic and social mobilization Felipe VI Santiago Fernández del Vado

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 11 OPERATION BALMIS EVERY DAY IS MONDAY THE ARMED FORCES SUPPORT THE POPULATION AND PUBLIC SERVICES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE EPIDEMIC

T’S Saturday, April 4th. At the Re- 19th century. “We are at war with an tamares base Joint Operations invisible and unconventional enemy”, Centre, several military personnel declares Fernando in field uniforms and wearing masks López del Pozo, of the are processing large amounts of Operations Command, to whom the Idata on their computers. In front Chief of Defence Staff has entrusted an of them, a large screen shows the unprecedented mission: to coordinate distribution throughout Spain of the the deployment of the military in more than 8,000 military personnel hundreds of locations throughout the deployed in the fight against the autonomous communities to support coronavirus. This room is the nerve the population and the public services centre of Operation Balmis, named in their efforts to contain the spread of after the military doctor who brought the virus. the smallpox vaccine to the territories Disinfection of critical areas, support of the in America and for field hospitals, assembly of shelters the Philippines at the beginning of the for the homeless, transport of medical

12 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 OPERATION BALMIS EVERY DAY IS MONDAY THE ARMED FORCES SUPPORT THE POPULATION AND PUBLIC SERVICES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE EPIDEMIC

supplies, surveillance of nuclear power was already carrying out preliminary plants, etc. Anything that may be reconnaissance in cities where the required by the delegated competent risk of contagion could be high. authorities to guarantee the provision This decision was taken during the of services and the protection of all, coordination meeting held in the as laid down in the decree declaring morning at the Ministry of Defence to the state of alarm in the country on address the measures to be taken Saturday, March 14th. Defence Minister, by the Armed Forces due to the Margarita Robles, summed it up the pandemic, a meeting that was chaired next day in her first appearance before by the Minister and attended by State the press: “They will help guarantee Secretary of Defence, Ángel Olivares; the right to health of all citizens. Their Chief of the Defence Staff (CHOD), deployment will be necessary to assist General Miguel Ángel Villarroya; everywhere”. Deputy Secretary of Defence, Alejo de From 3 p.m. that same Sunday, la Torre; Undersecretary of Defence for the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) Political Affairs, Admiral Juan Francisco Font Cuberta/EFE

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 13 Pool Moncloa MOPS (Operations Command) General López del Pozo (standing), tasked with coordinating the operation by the CHOD (on the right), in a press conference of the members of the Technical Committee.

Martínez Núñez; commander of the Operations Command, General Fernando López Del Pozo; and head of the UME, General Luis Martínez Meijide. At the meeting, an instruction was issued implementing the Royal Decree on the state of alarm in the field of Defence. It was also agreed to activate a single command in the figure of the CHOD who, through the Operations Command, would integrate the operational, health, logistics and infrastructure capabilities of the UME, the Inspectorate-General for Defence Health (IGESAN) and the Army, Navy and Air Force to make them available to the competent authorities. In turn, military doctors who were no longer in active service were mobilized and the military pharmacy was instructed to increase the production of hydroalcoholic disinfectant solution and any generic medicine that might be necessary. That same afternoon, the initial planning meeting for Operation Balmis was held at the Operations Command headquarters. Since then, military personnel have been working non-stop all over Spain. Day by day they have increased both their numbers and their missions. As a member of the COVID-19 technical monitoring committee, the CHOD provides a daily update on the work of the Armed Forces. “The Spanish people can rest assured that their Armed Forces, together with the rest of the public authorities, are with them, we will not fail them. But we need everyone to make an effort, together we will win”, said General Villarroya in one of his first online press conference speeches from

Disinfection tasks in a nursing home in 14 Revista Española de Defensa theApril Guadarrama 2020 mountain range. Pepe Díaz Pool Moncloa Pepe Díaz

The military is doing an important job by being present on the streets and at critical points. In the photo, members of the Parachute on patrol in Alcorcón.

On-call pharmacy INCE the very beginning Antonio Juberías, the Sof the crisis, the Military main concern is to avoid Pharmaceutical Centre has contagion. “A laboratory turned to the manufacture of technician is hard to find”, hydroalcoholic gel for hand he told El País newspaper. disinfection, paracetamol In this centre, located in the to combat the symptoms of Madrid town of Colmenar the disease and ribavirin, Viejo, production has not a broad-spectrum antiviral stopped for one moment. used against hepatitis C When this pandemic is and which could work in over, we will learn exactly the fight against SARS- how many paracetamol CoV-2. Its activity increased tablets, litres of disinfectant from March 23rd, when or ribavirin ampoules it also began work on a IGESAN (Inspectorate-General for Defence Health) have been produced at its coronavirus-inactivation The Military Pharmaceutical Centre has increased facilities. “At the present solution, at the request of its production. time it is complicated the National Biotechnology to talk about an exact Centre of the CNIC (National Centre for Cardiovascular manufacturing capacity, I would not venture to give any Research). This was done to avoid potential material kind of figure”, said Juberías to COPE radio station. shortages in the National Health System and to guarantee The medicines are made available to the authorities “and the availability of products whose use had increased they are the ones who determine where they have to be significantly, both in the healthcare environment and in distributed”, the colonel explained. private homes. This is not the first time that the Military Pharmaceutical To meet this challenge, the centre has increased Centre has collaborated in a health crisis. In 2006, during its regular staff of 100 by 25% and workers have been the influenza A epidemic, they encapsulated the H1N1 organised into shifts. For the head of the centre, Colonel antivirals.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 15 Moncloa Palace (official residence and workplace of the Spanish Prime Minister). “In these times of war or crisis, every day is Monday”, he indicated in another speech. “The effort does not stop. Each day of effort results in lives being saved”. Just like every morning since the operation began, military personnel leave their bases after the flag is raised. But while some go out to do their duty on the streets, others continue the work in their units, attending to the tasks of organization, coordination, logistics, health, etc., and also looking for ways to improve procedures in order to be more effective every day in the fight against UME (Military Emergencies Unit) COVID-19. The UME carries DISINFECTION out disinfection tasks The cleaning and disinfection of public at seaports, airports and stations spaces is one of the tasks assumed by the every day. Armed Forces from the very beginning. In many parts of the country, members of the UME, the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) Defence nº 1 and the NBC companies of the various Army have already disinfected more than 4,000 critical infrastructure and essential service facilities. These units have been joined by many others with the same “rapid intervention” capability, such as the Veterinary Services of the Royal Guard or the Army Logistics Academy, A marine supervises for example. The Armed Forces a railway station in decontaminate hospitals and health Cartagena. Marcial Guillén/EFE

Three weeks of struggle healthcare personnel no longer in active service are MARCH mobilized. >SATURDAY 14TH •The Military Pharmacy increases the production of •The Council of Ministers decrees a state of alarm to limit the disinfectant solution, paracetamol and antivirals. movement of citizens as much as possible. >MONDAY 16TH •The Minister of Defence, the Government’s “delegated •Land borders are closed and only residents or victims of competent authority”, together with the Ministers of Health, force majeure will be allowed to enter. the Interior and Transport. •The Ministry of Defence offers its collaboration to assist >SUNDAY 15TH the homeless. •The CHOD, at the helm of the single command to coordinate the cooperation of the Armed Forces. >TUESDAY 17TH •The UME collaborates in Madrid’s suburban rail stations to •Initial planning meeting at Operations Command. Operation avoid crowding. Balmis is launched. •Military deployment is extended to 28 cities with Army and •Two military hospitals are made available and military Marine troops.

16 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Pepe Díaz

The 12th Brigade Guadarrama carries out preventive disinfection tasks in several nursing homes in the north of Madrid.

centres, nursing homes and care centres Bascuas, who commands a of UME and other military units, and reserve for vulnerable people, airports, ports, the 4th Emergency Intervention the right to act in places where the number train, metro and bus stations, as well as (BIEM IV), which is based in and of infections is very high, such as in the state, regional and municipal authority also operates in , the Basque aforementioned nursing homes, or in the facilities. Country and . task of transferring patients. The main effort is focused on hospitals In the rest of the country, these They clean and disinfect waiting rooms and nursing homes, where the frontline tasks are carried out by the four other and other spaces in hospitals, especially battle against the pandemic is fought. BIEMs of the UME, as well as by its where a person has died from coronavirus, “Every day we travel between 700 and Intervention Group in Technological and “because the room must be occupied 800 kilometres throughout Aragón and Environmental Emergencies (GIETMA). immediately by another patient”, says Marcial Guillén/EFE Navarre”, says UME Captain Enrique These specialists advise and train the Captain Bascuas.

•Disinfection of traffic control centres. •Disinfection in airports, ports, stations, public buildings, hospitals and nursing homes. >WEDNESDAY 18TH •The King addresses the country: “We are a society that >FRIDAY 20TH stands strong in the face of all adversity”. •The military support the Guardia Civil in the surveillance of the Trillo, Almaraz and Cofrentes nuclear power plants. •Extraordinary plenary session of Parliament; all groups express, with slight nuances, their support for the •The IFEMA emergency shelter for the homeless set up by the Government. Army opens. •A Guardia Civil dies from coronavirus, the first casualty among >SATURDAY 21ST the State Security Forces. •The UME transfers patients between hospitals to redistribute them according to capacity. >THURSDAY 19TH •Operation Balmis now extends to the 17 autonomous •Military Healthcare intensifies assistance to the elderly in communities, Ceuta and Melilla. nursing homes. •Military units patrol numerous cities warning citizens of the •The Engineering Command and the Health Brigade advise on ban on movement. the assembly of the provisional hospital at IFEMA. >

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 17 Teams of between two and six people work in the nursing homes, always wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): overalls, latex gloves, masks and goggles. “In larger spaces, such as the Delicias train station in Zaragoza, we work with an entire section”, explains the UME Captain. In these places every corner is disinfected: platforms, bathrooms, escalators, railings, etc. In addition, decontamination tasks are carried out in large areas, such as UME (Military Emergencies Unit) in the pavilions of IFEMA (Madrid’s trade Snow cannon that the UME has adapted for its disinfectant tanks to facilitate cleaning tasks. fair centre), where a provisional hospital has been installed (see box), and in of regiment, Lieutenant Coronel José Luis Second Lieutenant Jesús Martínez Noya, logistics and supply platforms, such as Munielo. In closed spaces, disinfection at the helm of one of the operational Mercamadrid or Merca Las Palmas. is carried out in two stages. This is how NBC sections of 7th Brigade Galicia. Captain Álvaro Michael, who is in charge His unit operates in those centres of NBC DEFENCE of one of these light decontamination this autonomous community in which The NBC Defence Regiment nº 1 is also teams, explains it. “The first stage personnel infected with SARS-Cov-2 making a major effort in this area. In mid- takes place with the windows closed, have been identified. “If there are no March, one of the teams from its base using thermal fog generators. Next, the coronavirus sufferers”, he points out, in Paterna () travelled to Bilbao bedding, tablecloths or curtains and other “other members of the brigade that we airport in two NH-90 helicopters of the items are disinfected and subsequently are training carry out the work, always Army Airmobile Force (FAMET) to disinfect removed, leaving the room practically under the guidance of a specialist NBC the control tower and various transit areas. bare. We then proceed to clean the entire non-commissioned ”. Almost at the same time, another team of surface of the establishment, either with 21 troops were deployed at Adolfo Suárez 70% ethyl alcohol or with a 0.01% sodium MILITARY HEALTHCARE Madrid-Barajas airport. hypochlorite solution that we prepare Although less visible, military doctors and “We have created two light decon- using commercial bleach”. nurses are fighting on the front lines. “Up to tamination units, plus one on standby and Other Army units perform the same 2,914 troops are dedicated body and soul one more to support evacuation. In total, we tasks throughout the country. “We have to curing the infected patients admitted to have 300 military personnel specialized in returned to wearing white overalls, as the military healthcare network”, stressed detecting pathogenic agents”, said head happened in the Prestige crisis”, recalls the CHOD in one of his speeches at the

> •Collaboration in the assembly of a shelter for the homeless at >THURSDAY 26TH the Trade Fair. •An Air Force mobile ICU is delivered for the IFEMA field hospital. • The Army reinforces the Military Central Hospital Gómez Ulla. >SUNDAY 22ND •The Armed Forces increase their support in the transport and >FRIDAY 27TH distribution of medical supplies. •A psychological care hotline is launched for deployed military •The King puts the Royal Guard at the disposal of the personnel. operation. •The Army begins the transfer of bodies to the morgue of the Madrid Palacio del Hielo (ice skating rink). >TUESDAY 24TH •The Minister of Defence visits the Operations Command, from >SATURDAY 28TH where Operation Balmis is coordinated. •The Armed Forces have already intervened in 1,083 nursing •Disinfection tasks in critical facilities, health centres and homes, 200 hospitals and health centres and 16 prisons. nursing homes are intensified. >SUNDAY 29TH >WEDNESDAY 25TH •The Government decrees the cessation of all non-essential •Parliament ratifies the two-week extension activities for two weeks. of the state of alarm approved by •The UME transfers patients between hospitals and to the Government. medicalized hotels in Madrid.

18 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 BRISAN (Health Brigade) The Health Brigade prepares medical oxygen bottles, an essential resource in hospitals.

Preparation of food for the homeless staying at the Barcelona Trade

Fair shelter. Albir/EFE Toni end of March. The importance of their personnel no longer in active service from this epidemic. Patients are also contribution was already noted in the were also mobilized to increase health being treated in the two ICU wings and in implementing legislation of the state capabilities against COVID-19. the Post Anaesthesia Resuscitation Unit. of alarm in the field of Defence. “The As the days have gone by, space In addition, a hundred beds have been resources of the military healthcare needs have grown in the hospitals. 20 of installed in the rehabilitation gymnasium network are considered to be of a critical the 22 floors of the Gómez Ulla hospital in order to increase the capacity to care nature”, the text states, “and its personnel are dedicated to treating those suffering for those affected. In total, 405 beds and will be ready to take up their assignments 28 ICUs have been made available for as soon as they are required to do so”. coronavirus patients alone. The Ministry of Defence then placed Staff was increased on March 26th with two military hospitals at the disposal of the Military doctors nursing assistants and operating theatre Ministry of Health, namely the Gómez Ulla assistants from the Health Brigade, as well hospital in Madrid and another military and nurses fighting as personnel from the Anti-Aircraft hospital in Zaragoza, as well as the two Command, acting as hospital porters. Health groups with the capacity to set up Members of the Engineering Command Role-2 field hospitals (emergency surgery against the are also providing support in plumbing, and stabilization). electricity, air conditioning, welding and More than 50 military doctors were coronavirus on the bricklaying tasks. temporarily reassigned to join the staff The Gómez Ulla hospital, through the of these hospitals. Military healthcare front line Armed Forces Blood Transfusion Centre

>MONDAY 30TH >THURSDAY 2ND •The Armed Forces begin to monitor the land borders with •The Armed Forces begin to monitor the border with and with Morocco, in Melilla. France in Girona and Navarre.

•An A400M aircraft sent to China to bring back medical >FRIDAY 3RD supplies arrives at Torrejón air base. •The King visits the Balmis Command Centre •The first death from coronavirus occurs of a military and thanks the Armed Forces for their work in the serviceman, a non-commissioned officer in the Air Force. health crisis. “Your contribution is very important in a time of need and national >TUESDAY 31ST emergency”. •The Navy sends ship Galicia to Melilla to reinforce its hospital capacity. >SATURDAY 4TH •The Government extends the state of emergency for two more weeks, until April 26th. APRIL •8,261 troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, the >WEDNESDAY 1ST Military Emergencies Unit and the Royal Guard have •Some of the soldiers posted in and return already been deployed in more than 900 locations home, as training tasks in these missions were brought to a throughout the country. Of these, 3,125 work in support standstill. and health care.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 19 Air Force

The Air Force has set up an ICU and the Army has provided support in fitting out the hospital. Pepe Díaz Pepe Díaz Military collaboration at IFEMA

E are always prepared to go on international missions, set up the IFEMA field hospital are also military personnel who “Wbut we would never have imagined that we would be have been trained in operations abroad. “I spent six months in mobilized for a mission in Spain”, said Major (MD) Armando Iraq setting up the Besmayah base, and 30 days in Senegal José Munayco on March 26th in pavilion 9 of the Juan training officers of its army on the planning and setting up of Carlos I (IFEMA) exhibition grounds. He is the head of the military camps,” says Captain Alejandro López of Salamanca team of nurses and paramedics of the Air Force’s Air Medical Engineering Specialties Regiment nº 11. During the week Deployment Support Unit (UMAAD) which, in just 12 hours, that he worked at IFEMA commanding 14 soldiers from the set up six critical patient stations in ICU room 9.03, the first of same unit, they improved the sanitary facilities and set up 49 available in this field hospital. “Here we have practically all six containers with showers and chemical toilets in pavilion the material we use in overseas missions, such as the Role 5, the first to be activated, with 750 beds. Dr. Javier Marco, 2 hospital we assembled in Afghanistan”. Each post has all director of the IFEMA field hospital, publicly gave thanks for the electro-medical devices required for an ICU, “the most the collaboration, not only of the UMAAD and the engineers, critical technology at the moment in hospitals”, explains the but also of the Army Health Brigade and its Group nº 1 for commander. their advice on medical and logistic aspects in the assembly The UMAAD has also made available to the ICU transfer of the hospital; the of the Brigade, who stretchers to move patients within pavilion 9, and 30 were involved in the transfer and assembly of many of the conventional beds in addition to the 50 beds of Army Health 5,500 beds on the premises; and to the UME, which used Group nº 1. In addition, a radiology area has been set up with snow cannons adapted to its vehicles to disinfect the walls CT scans and portable X-ray equipment. and floors of the facilities with sodium hypochlorite. Like the members of UMAAD, the members of the en- gineering and paratrooper units that have helped to J.L. Expósito

20 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 The Armed Forces have disinfected over 5,000 facilities, half of which are nursing homes

is participating in a clinical trial that aims maintain telephone contact with the staff Príncipe de Asturias Hospital to obtain “hyperimmune plasma” from of these centres. “They are professionals in Alcalá de Henares, and the Alcorcón donors who have had the disease. This who are under great stress. They have Foundation and Getafe hospitals. In scientific trial, led by the Puerta de Hierro an enormous vocation and feel very Leganés, a sports centre has been fitted hospital, is based on the premise that the concerned about their elders, with whom out to relieve the emergency department antibodies generated by those who have they live on a daily basis”, says the head of the Severo Ochoa hospital. overcome the coronavirus can be used to of the Psychology unit at IGESAN. The Armed Forces have also reinforced cure patients. In addition to these measures, the the capacities of hospitals in Albacete, In addition, the Navy has sent the Under-Secretariat of Defence, through Calatayud, Melilla, Murcia, Reinosa amphibious assault ship Galicia to Melilla the Equality and Social Support Division, (Cantabria), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, to reinforce the city’s hospital capacity. makes telephone calls to military personnel , Valladolid, as well as the Military Adapted as a hospital ship, it has eight and older family members who may be Central Hospital Gómez Ulla and the ICU beds, two operating theatres, a triage room, a laboratory, X-ray equipment and a dental practice. In addition, two ambulances, a medicalized helicopter and a contingent of Marines have been brought on board and the latter have begun to carry out disinfection tasks in the port and other areas.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT Psychological care is another aspect that has been strengthened. Three guides have been prepared, aimed at those

Pepe Díaz involved in the operation, health personnel and military and civilian personnel of the Department, with appropriate recommendations for each of these groups. “They have been distributed to all Defence units and hospitals and their content will be expanded as new situations arise that have to be faced”,

explains the head of the psychology unit Pepe Díaz of the Inspectorate-General for Defence The Military Central Hospital Gómez Ulla has reinforced its staff. Health, José Miguel García Real. in a situation of vulnerability or isolation. Zaragoza military hospital. Outside the In addition, a hotline has been set up for Hundreds of calls are made every day, latter, an area has been set up to carry military personnel involved in Operation mostly to retired military personnel and out drive-through coronavirus detection Balmis, 91 422 28 80, which is manned by widowed spouses over 82 years of age, tests. Military personnel are also working psychologists and can be called by those to check on their condition and attend to to activate field hospitals in Alicante, who need this type of support, as well as their needs. Castellón, Sabadell and Valencia. advice on other issues, such as managing A team from the UME moved to their own teams or working with the civilian FIELD HOSPITALS l’Hospitalet de Llobregat at the end of population. Operation Balmis collaborates with March to study the possibility of building These professionals are also deployed numerous logistics and military transport one of these hospitals at the Barcelona with on-site forces. “The psychology unit specialists in the construction and start-up Trade Fair, initially with 300 beds, which of the UME has been reinforced with 19 of several field hospitals, which has made could be extended to another 2,000. psychology officers and, if necessary, the it possible to provide new spaces for The project is taking shape, as it did in same will be done with those of the Army, medical coverage to patients. In Madrid, IFEMA in Madrid, which is equipped to Navy and Air Force”, stresses García Real. the facilities of the Gregorio Marañón, La accommodate 5,500 beds and 49 ICU They also provide support to nursing Paz and Doce de Octubre hospitals have beds (see box). In addition, patient triage homes and other vulnerable groups, and been expanded, as have those of the modules have been built in León, Oviedo

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 21 and Las Palmas. In all of these centres, performed a reconnaissance of the the Armed Forces have supplied medical facilities and subsequently provided equipment and loaned and installed a shower service for 150 people and tents, refrigerated containers, showers, dining room benches for 50. The unit chemical toilets, various pieces of furniture The operation also disinfects the exhibition grounds such as beds, stretchers, lockers, tables every day. Zaragoza Logistic Support 41 and benches, as well as oxygen tanks devotes particular (AALOG 41) manages another shelter and generators. at the Barcelona Trade Fair, similar to effort to supporting the IFEMA shelter, where the following THE HOMELESS have been installed: 225 three-sleeper The operation devotes particular effort shelters for the single bunk beds, two cistern containers to supporting temporary shelters for the –one with a capacity for 100 showers–, homeless. This is the case of IFEMA’s two refrigerated containers, one kitchen Pavilion 14, where a team from the UME, homeless module, 35 sets of table-benches, as well in collaboration with SAMUR Social as lockers and cupboards. “Every day we (Madrid social emergency service) serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to 330 J. C. Caval/EFE

An Army soldier and a local policeman during a patrol on the streets of Murcia.

22 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 The Armed Forces with the people

Fernando Martínez Laínez Journalist and writer

HE Armed Forces as well as the people protect the population. As it should Tbe. Helping to overcome the biblical plague in a battle against an invisible enemy. Soldiers, mostly anonymous, in a war without front lines or borders. Heroes who, of course, are not only warriors, but also men and women acting as an underpinning and collective integrating element. With exemplary qualities to help the public, qualities that stem from inner and ethical values rather than from bravery with weapons. Once again, the Armed Forces took to the deserted and besieged streets, in search of the murderous ghost of the coronavirus, the new beast of the Apocalypse. An essential bulwark, the infallible support in times of social calamity. Knowing they are there helps us to endure. A guarantee of joint victory at critical times. “No army is better than its soldiers”, declared American General Patton. The soldier is also a citizen, and the greatest privilege of citizenship is to serve one’s country with (or without) weapons. The Republican Emilio Castelar used to say that bayonets are good for everything except for sitting on them. And the tragedy of the plague that cuts MoD us to the quick proves him right. Because our Armed Forces do not sit back, The Royal Guard distributes products from the food they stay on the warpath against the enemy, who or whatever it may be. Today bank in the Community of Madrid. the virus, tomorrow who knows? “The most beautiful thing there is, after inspiration, is sacrifice”, wrote the French romantic Alfred de Vigny in his book Servitude and Military Greatness, people”, explains Jesús Miguel “nothing is so worthy of the interest and love of the nation as this self-sacrificing Otoré, one of the ten cooks and food family, which sometimes brings it so much glory”. handlers from AALOG 41 who look after Calderón de la Barca, soldier of the Army of , also wrote in verse: the field kitchen at Barcelona’s Trade Fair. “That in good and bad fortune / the is nothing but / a religion of honest men”. The Armed Forces also distribute The military is part of the people in one of its indispensable functions, and food from various food banks to the should there be any doubt that it serves the people, the recent plague has most vulnerable. In Madrid, the Royal come to confirm this. “What is the military if not the nerve that sends breath and Guard collects it from the Alcalá de vital energy to the entire body of the nation?”, asked Antonio Maura in 1908. Henares Food Bank and distributes it Although more open and professional than ever before, the Armed Forces throughout the Community. Units of the continue to call for deep empathy with their homeland and national identity. This Command do the same in is the atmosphere that helps them accomplish their often-uncertain mission Tenerife; and in Zaragoza, the AALOG 41 with dignity, because heroism does not always come in a blaze of glory. soldiers take food to nine nursing homes. Sometimes you have to go down into the sewers of the plague to beat the The Navy is also collaborating with soup beast. Because fighting spirit cannot be bought and it needs the will to win. kitchens in Cartagena, Cádiz and San Tolkien put it simply: “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow Fernando. for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend”. “If you’re going through hell, keep walking”, said Churchill, another tough QUARTERMASTER CORPS old guy. Walk until the tide turns. Since the beginning of Operation Balmis, And in the end, as the historian-philosopher Spengler put it, and many have the Quartermaster Corps Materiel Supply repeated, it has always been a platoon of soldiers that has saved civilization. Centre and Depot Park (PCAMI) has Keep your spirits up. The Armed Forces are with the people. been the organization in which all the And the only easy day was yesterday. resources acquired by the Armed Forces or donated by private entities to combat SARS-Cov-2 are concentrated. During the first seven days of operation alone, and banks also arrive at the Depot. The AIRBORNE SUPPORT the PCAMI received over three and a PCAMI Supply Unit organizes all these The Army also uses FAMET (Army half million masks, 200,000 disposable resources and distributes them in less Airmobile Forces) helicopters to trans- protective gowns and overalls and 20,000 than 24 hours following receipt through port personnel and material, while litres of bleach and other disinfectants. the MALE Logistics Support Management aircraft from the Air Force’s Search and Most of these were purchased by Centre, an organization that has activated Rescue (SAR) units make these types of the Procurement Division of the Army its own resources to reinforce the Army flights between the Canary and Balearic Logistics Support Command (MALE). Transport Group that has supplied the Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. Disposable suits, masks and other Armed Forces with these products since Air Force transport aircraft are playing products donated by defence companies the beginning of the operation. a major role in managing the health

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 23 required to transfer coronavirus patients by air. The aircraft have been medicalized by the Aeromedical Evacuation Unit (UMAER). The UME and other Army units have also assumed the transfer of moderately ill patients between hospitals, medicalized hotels and accommodation centres, in the case of the elderly. The transport of patients is carried out using public transport buses of the Madrid autonomous community because they have ramps that facilitate the access of people in wheelchairs. A team from GIETMA and another from SAMUR are on board, escorted by a UME patrol, which is also in charge of disinfecting the vehicles. The transport of the dead is another of House of His Majesty the King the missions that the Armed Forces have King Felipe spoke by video conference with the subordinate commands of the mission. had to assume in view of the overflow of funeral services. On March 28th, an order The King, in the command centre was published in the Official State Gazette whereby the Ministry of Health authorises N April 3rd, King Felipe VI visited the Retamares Base in Pozuelo de Alarcón the Army to participate in the transfer of O(Madrid), the body that coordinates all the activities of the Armed Forces in those who have died from coronavirus. Operation Balmis, accompanied by the Minister of Defence and the CHOD. In Madrid, where the greatest number of The commander of the Operations Command (CMOPS), Lieutenant deaths from the epidemic are recorded, General Fernando López del Pozo, explained the capabilities and human the UME and the Army carry out these and material resources made available to this operation. In the Joint transfers from various hospitals and Operations Management Centre meeting room, King Felipe VI held multiple nursing homes to the provisional facilities video conferences with the various commands that are operationally under of the Palacio del Hielo (ice skating rink), the command of the CMOPS. where the coffins remain until the funeral The King took the opportunity to convey “collectively, to all those involved homes can take care of them. In addition, in Operation Balmis and to the Armed Forces as a whole”, a message of Air Force personnel have installed two support and gratitude. “And of pride”, he added, “in the face of what is a containers with a capacity for 20 very important contribution in a moment of need and national emergency”. at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital.

SECURITY SUPPORT crisis. On March 29th, a C-130 Hercules where they had been sent to pick up six From the first week, the military has from the 31st Wing landed at Torrejón tonnes of healthcare cargo, including 50 been fulfilling an important task of being air base, having flown from the Czech ventilators purchased from the German present on the streets and at critical Republic with a cargo of 10,000 items of Federal Ministry of Health. points in support of the State Security personal protection equipment delivered Previously, an Airbus A400M test Forces. “On the one hand, it is a matter by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster aircraft landed in Getafe with 650,000 of supporting the main measure against Response Coordination Centre. The next surgical masks. Air Deployment Support COVID-19, confinement at home to avoid day, an A400M, also from the 31st Wing, personnel received the contagion and, on the other hand, to arrived at Torrejón air base from China shipment and prepared the cargo for convey a reassuring message to Spanish after a 33-hour flight and two technical delivery to the PCAMI. society, as its Armed Forces are there to stopovers. In Shanghai it took on board protect it”, explains Lieutenant General a cargo of 14 tonnes of various medical TRANSFER OF PATIENTS López del Pozo. supplies, such as masks, PPE and rapid At the Cuatro Vientos air base, two These patrols also cover railway tests to diagnose SARS-Cov-2 carriers. Superpuma helicopters and their and bus stations, port areas, hospitals On April 3rd, a C-130 and an A400M corresponding crews from the 48th Wing and health centres, shopping areas arrived at Torrejón air base from Hamburg, are on permanent alert in case they are and communication hubs in large

24 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Navy

The ship Galicia, in the port of Melilla to provide health support to the city. Army Army

Manufacture of masks in the Army’s PCAMI A soldier from 11th Brigade at the Almaraz workshops. nuclear power plant. Salvador Sas/EFE Rubén Somonte/MoD 90,000 troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, UME and the Royal Guard have been deployed throughout Spain

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 25 The military protects critical infrastructures in support of the State Security Forces

cities. “We work in full coordination with the State Security Forces”, said UME (Military Emergencies Unit) Parachute Brigade Lieutenant Enrique The military are received with displays of affection in nursing homes. Conde during a patrol in Alcorcón. The members of the Armed Forces The satisfaction of serving who participate in these support tasks enjoy the status of agents of authority, HE smile for today’s work is visits. Stationed at NBC Regiment nº 1 in accordance with an additional worth the world to me”. Second in Valencia, the captain and his men “T provision of the state of alarm decree. Lieutenant Jesús Evaristo Martínez work far from home, in nursing homes “If we witness an incident, we report it Noya finally rests, shortly before in Madrid’s Guadarrama mountain nightfall, at home. He has taken a range. “They see in us people in immediately to the security forces, but shower and changed his clothes. uniform who come to give them a hand if it is very serious, we will intervene, as However, his workday, which began and who remain calm, that reassures any citizen would”, indicates Sergeant around 7.30 a.m., is not yet over. “I them”, he says. Jorge Grijuela, head of one of the have to do some keyboard work”, he Complicated situations such as platoons, as he distributes his men says. Filling out the daily “paperwork”. those found by UME captain Enrique around the Alcorcón suburban rail Before having dinner, enjoying a little Bascuas, from BIEM IV, in the nursing station. time with his family and going to bed, homes and shelters that his unit tours. On March 21st, military deployment he has to write a report about the “Their workers are pushed to the limit of was activated to provide security for the disinfection work carried out today their possibilities”, he says. However, Trillo (Guadalajara), Almaraz (Cáceres) in two nursing homes in Vigo and a in his opinion, “our presence comforts and Cofrentes (Valencia) nuclear power shelter for the homeless in Pontevedra them and helps them to move forward, plants, as well as for other energy and submit it to the command. The with heroic behaviour”. infrastructures in Mallorca, Ibiza, Cádiz technical document does not reflect “Being able to help is a source of and Fuerteventura. The military thus the feeling of satisfaction that remains pride for us,” says Captain Rubén reinforces the surveillance of these at the end of this day, already relieved Arcos, who is stationed at BRIPAC of tension. “The faces of the people, (Paratrooper Brigade) in charge of facilities against sabotage and terrorist their expressions of gratitude..”., a team that carries out disinfection, acts. recalls Second Lieutenant Martínez surveillance and reconnaissance Also, since April 3rd, military units Noya, head of one of the operational in several locations in Madrid. “In have been monitoring land borders teams of the NBC company of many neighbourhoods people have with the aim of freeing up State Security 7th Brigade Galicia that, since the applauded us”, adds Lieutenant Forces personnel for other tasks. beginning of Operation Balmis, “works Francisco Conde, also from BRIPAC, “Balmis is the operation with the on demand”, as he himself puts it, in for whom the presence of the Armed most military resources at the disposal the northwest of Spain trying to “make Forces on the streets makes the of the authorities in our recent history”, a tiny contribution to help the country importance of the pandemic in the stressed the CHOD in a message of move forward”. country more evident. “No timetables”, thanks to all military personnel. “Rest Captain Álvaro Michael is also stresses Second Lieutenant Martínez assured”, added General Villarroya, comforted by the fact that his work Noya. “It’s what we do. That’s what “that with the sum of all our efforts we is highly appreciated by the workers we’re here for”. will overcome this situation”. and residents of the nursing homes he J.L. Expósito José Luis Expósito, Elena Tarilonte and Victor Hernández

26 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 The United Nations deploys a plan of coordination and solidarity and the European Union and NATO activate their response mechanisms A BATTLE WE ALL MUST FIGHT UN/Loey Felipe UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres, during an online COVID-19 press conference on April 1st.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 27 EVER before had the world been paralyzed in unison. Never had one half of its population been confined and its freedom of movement restricted. The con- sequencesN of this collective fight may transform the world order as we know it. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has already caused —according to the data issued by the United Nations on April 1st —more than 50,000 deaths, while there are one million confirmed cases in 204 countries. The virus has made it extremely clear that all people, regardless of ethnicity, gender or ideology, are vulnerable, and we have had to assume the key value of community to save ourselves. “This is a war all humankind must wage; nobody can win it by themselves. If we want to defeat this common, invisible and predatory enemy, we have to do it together. SARS-CoV-2 knows no borders,

we must not either”. UN SecretaryGeneral, Rubén Somonte/MoD António Guterres, sent a clear message Air Force personnel unload a Hercules aircraft carrying 10,000 PPE items donated to Spain by to the world leaders —the G20— in the the Czech Republic on March 29th. extraordinary meetings that took place by video conference on March 26th and 27th and on March 2nd this was intensified to discussed in order to support each regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Guterres “full activation”, which allows for periodic country’s efforts, both to contain the virus made a plea for solidarity and especially and specific meetings to agree on specific and mitigate its consequences for their for pragmatism: “We need a battle plan measures in the fields of health, foreign citizens, and experiences following the and we need to start now”. affairs, economy and civil protection. initial days of the crisis were shared. They To this end, the main UN leader In this framework, on March 19th, the also dealt with the measures put in place presented three critical lines of action: Spanish Ministry of Defence — represented to guarantee the operational capability first, and in coordination with the by the Undersecretary of Defence for of Defence and the continuity of the World Health Organization (WHO), to Political Affairs, Admiral Juan Francisco commitments to peace and stability in tackle the health emergency; second, Martínez Núñez— participated in an the international arena. to focus on the social and economic online meeting with the Defence Ministers The heads of State and Government impact, and on the economic recovery of France, , Italy, Portugal, the held two extraordinary European response, particularly with regard to the Netherlands, , Finland, United Councils in March by video conference. most vulnerable; and third, to draw on Kingdom, Sweden and Estonia, held In the second one, on March 26th, they sustainable development as a solution as part of the European Initiative for issued a common statement of actions and start working straight away to lay the Strategic Engagement to tackle the to intensify the fight against COVID-19 foundations for a recovery that will build contribution of their respective Armed that focused on limiting the spread of a sustainable, inclusive and equitable Forces in the face of the COVID-19 the virus; ensuring the supply of medical economy under the guidelines of the pandemic. The measures adopted by equipment; promoting research on 2030 Agenda. “We are only as strong as the various Defence Departments were treatment and vaccines; and supporting the weakest”, said Guterres. employment, companies and the economy. Aware of the vertiginous RESPONSE CAPACITY speed at which the pandemic was The SecretaryGeneral has also made a spreading and the need to maintain a constant and continuous appeal to all of Pedro Sánchez: common line of action, the 27 agreed the international organizations to activate to call a new extraordinary Council in their common response mechanisms. “We all have to the first fortnight of April. The Spanish On January 28th, 2020 the Croatian Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, urged Presidency already activated the EU’s row in the same his partners to take “brave and firm” integrated political crisis response (IPCR) decisions and reminded them that “the mechanism in “information sharing mode”, direction” response cannot be national, it has to

28 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 be European, using all resources. This NATO: the Strategic Airlift Capability to refugees and their helplessness in the is the most critical moment for the EU (SAC), whereby Allies and their partners face of COVID-19. Measures are also since its foundation and we all have to jointly own and operate three heavy- being taken at the Department of Peace row in the same direction”. In subsequent lift Globemaster C-17 aircraft; and the Operations, which is implementing a press conferences, Sánchez insisted that Strategic Airlift International Solution series of measures both for the protection “COVID-19 affects all of us and knows no (SALIS) that allows Antonov aircraft to of its troops and for some missions so borders, gender or class”, therefore, the be rented when required (in March, that they can extend their mandate and EU “must foster a reconstruction plan more than 200 tonnes of medical collaborate with local authorities in the that strengthens the mechanisms of the equipment were flown to the Czech fight against the pandemic and in support European welfare state”. Republic, Romania and Slovakia), and of the local population, with special focus For its part, NATO, as explained by four field hospitals have been provided on the Women, Peace and Security Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to . The NATO Centre of agenda to incentivize the essential role following the meeting of the Excellence for Military Medicine (NATO played by women in terms of hygiene Alliance’s Foreign Ministers held by MILMED COE) is also strengthening and health in the most affected areas. videoconference on April 2nd to study the its research on SARS-CoV-19 and At the same time, the UN is reviewing allied response to SARS- the rotations of its foreign CoV-2, “is deploying all the mission personnel for necessary mechanisms in the next six months and this common fight against studying deployments to an invisible enemy”. Since determine which missions the outset of the crisis, or parts of the mandate of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster some operations should Response Coordination be suspended in order to Centre (EADRCC) has facilitate the confinement been enabling the partners decreed by the World and Allies to help one Health Organization. It another in order to respond has also recommended to requests from the most to the other organizations needy. In this regard, that carry out missions on March 29th, a C130 under the mandate of the Hercules landed in Torrejón Security Council —NATO de Ardoz with a cargo of and the EU— that they do 10,000 personal protective the same with their troops. equipment (PPE) items Spain has withdrawn donated by the Czech almost 200 soldiers from Republic, while on April 1st its contingent in Iraq as an aircraft from the Turkish NATO the COVID-19 crisis “has air force landed in Spain NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during an online pre-ministerial press halted the training tasks with PPE and disinfectant conference from on April 1st. they were assigned to”, solutions. Other allies as explained by Spanish such as Latvia and Luxemburg have monitoring prevention measures in all Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles. also helped Spain while Japan, a NATO missions and operations, while The Defence Department has also NATO partner, has been able to do so the NATO Support and Procurement withdrawn part of the 65 Spanish troops through the EADRCC. Italy has received Agency (NSPA) is collaborating with in Afghanistan under the NATO Resolute medical supplies from Turkey and has private companies for the manufacture of Support Mission. In coordination with the been provided with ten field hospital medical equipment. Foreign Affairs Ministry, the aircraft used intensive care units donated by the U.S. for the repatriation of these contingents European Command. Also, the Euro- PROTECT AND ASSIST were also used to evacuate around 30 Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the European citizens. Specifically, one Centre has allowed field hospitals of one UN Secretary General has shown his German and 14 Spanish citizens flew country to care for patients from another concern for the weakest countries, “no with the military in the aircraft from Iraq; (Germany has taken in patients from doubt, the most vulnerable to the disease while six German, one Swiss and three Italy and France) and medical staff from and its consequences”. On March 20th, French nationals flew in the aircraft from Albania and Poland have travelled to Italy. Guterres called for an immediate global Kabul, Afghanistan, which stopped in The Atlantic Alliance has also ceasefire to help create humanitarian Abu Dhabi to pick up eight Spanish provided its members with two strategic corridors to distribute aid and he also tourists who were trapped there. transportation programs overseen by called for special attention to be given Rosa Ruiz

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 29 INTERNATIONAL ANALYSIS

The global crisis triggered by SARS-CoV-2 shows that international organizations, such as the WHO, have a key role to play in responses PANDEMICS: A GROWING RISK in the 21st century

Mar Hidalgo García Senior Analyst of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies

HROUGHOUT the history of humankind, the world has disease outbreak as it has the potential to become a pandemic, cause suffered several pandemics costing the lives of millions of widespread casualties and destabilize the world economy. The new people and giving way to changes in societies. It suffices to coronavirus has also highlighted that the consequences of a disease recall the so-called 1918 Spanish flu, which killed up to 50 outbreak stem not only from the transmissibility, morbidity or mortality Tmillion people. However, from the middle of the 20th century to the of the pathogen but also from the degree of interconnection that the present time, medicine had reached a stage of victory and control of place of origin —in this case China— has with the rest of the world. epidemics thanks to vaccination campaigns, antibiotic treatments, and improvements in hygiene and health infrastructures. But this victory Given the scope of COVID-19, it is safe to say that it is a “Disease has not lasted long and over the past decades scientists have been X” as mentioned by the WHO. The problem is that it might not be warning of a dramatic increase in infectious disease outbreaks, which the only one, since epidemic outbreaks are natural events that have have tripled since the 1980s. occurred and will continue to occur in the future, and there are also many factors indicating that we are facing a new era in the occurrence The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in 2018, almost as and spread of infectious diseases. a premonition, that the world should be prepared to face a “Disease X” caused by a virus or bacteria that could not only endanger public health One of these factors will be the massive, rapid, poorly planned, non- but also destabilize the world economy. inclusive and resource-scarce urban growth taking place in developing countries. Most of this urban population lives in irregular settlements The scientific community also estimates that approximately 75 per where conditions are ideal for the spread of infectious diseases, in cent of emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic diseases, particular, those transmitted by mosquitoes such as malaria, dengue that is, those originating in animals —generally non-domestic ones— fever and yellow fever. that at some point are transmitted to humans, as was the case with the avian flu virus, the swine flu virus, SARS-CoV, or the most recent virus Conflicts and population movements also contribute to increasing —which is jeopardizing the entire world— SARS-CoV-2, originated the emergence of infectious diseases. In the case of Syria, there has in Wuhan and also known as COVID-19. While the international been a rise in the incidence of polio due to the lack of medical personnel community has made progress in improving global health security, and the failure to comply with the vaccination schedule. In other cases, COVID-19 has shown that the world is vulnerable to an infectious violence against health workers often leads to the exodus of such staff,

30 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 UN/Mark Garten resulting in so-called “medical deserts”. Populations are also forced to of the planet are all factors contributing to the rapid spread of flee conflict areas and dwell in refugee camps where poor hygiene, diseases. Furthermore, and as demonstrated by COVID-19, the contaminated water and food shortages foster the spread of infectious greater the interconnection of the country of origin with the rest of diseases such as cholera, measles, Ebola and diphtheria. the world, the greater the economic and geopolitical consequences of the outbreak. Climatic factors, in particular temperature, rainfall and humidity, play a very important role in the transmission of diseases. In some Antimicrobial resistance also represents a growing threat in a areas, the rise in temperature and humidity will encourage the onset scenario in which there is an increasing number of infectious diseases. of vector-borne diseases such as malaria or dengue fever. Rodent- Standard treatments are becoming ineffective and infections persist borne diseases are also expected to grow as a result of increasing and can be transmitted to other people. floods and droughts. Moreover, the melting of the poles may trigger the emergence of pathogens that have remained well preserved in Finally, the development of new technologies is having a very permafrost thanks to ideal conditions of temperature, darkness and the positive impact on the health sector, generating more personalized lack of oxygen. and less invasive treatments and enabling patients to have easier access to results and reports. However, these same technologies The impact of human activities on can be dual-use and be utilized by terrorist the ecosystems is destroying the natural groups. Some of the technologies having habitats of various species. For instance, the We are facing the most revolutionary effect on the health destruction of forested areas for agricultural sector are those derived from cyber- activities is making some rodents move to a new era in attacks, 3D printers, artificial intelligence, population centres, thus encouraging the the robotics boom or synthetic biology. emergence of diseases, as is becoming the occurrence Of particular concern regarding the latter apparent in West and, in particular, in is the genetic modification of naturally Nigeria with an increasing number of cases and spread of occurring and low-risk pathogens that can of Lassa fever. Globalization, international increase their virulence or resistance to mobility and the greater interconnection infectious diseases standard treatments and vaccines.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 31 UN/Evan Scheider

A CHALLENGE THAT CANNOT BE FACED ALONE This concept provides a systemic approach and considers that The cross-border and transnational nature of pandemics justifies the health of humans, animals and plants, as well as the status intergovernmental organizations, such as the World Health of ecosystems, are all interconnected. Among the measures Organization, having a key role to play in preparedness and promoted by the WHO, also worth mentioning is the Global Health response. In addition to the regulatory role of the WHO through Security Agenda (GHSA) established in 2014 to respond to public the legally binding International Health Regulations (IHR), the health threats —whether natural, accidental or intentional— and to functions of this organization are to support Member States global, regional and national security. develop their national capabilities to respond to pandemics, coordinate Member States for pandemic and seasonal influenza A SECURITY CHALLENGE preparedness and response, develop guidelines, and strengthen Famines, wars and epidemics have always been the great enemies biosafety and biosecurity. of humanity, and the new coronavirus has made sure we do not forget this. However, the consideration that epidemic outbreaks Among the initiatives implemented by the WHO for the have an influence on security is a relatively recent issue. Since prevention of pandemics, special mention must be made of the the beginning of the 21st century, considering health as a security One Health concept carried out in coordination with the Food and issue has become increasingly important at both international Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World and state level. The reasons for this may be found in the concern Organization for Animal Health (OIE). generated by the emergence of diseases such as SARS, Ebola or

32 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 INTERNATIONAL ANALYSIS

Since the 21st century, health has been considered a security issue at both national and international level resistant tuberculosis and the risk of bio-terrorist acts. In fact, the This strategy is complemented by two new ones: the National UN Security Council has only issued three resolutions regarding Health Security Strategy (NHSS) for 2019-2022 and the National infectious diseases, one in 1983 about AIDS and two about the Biodefence Strategy. The latter provides, for the first time, a Ebola virus. It was in one of the latter two resolutions that an framework to address biological threats, whether naturally infectious disease was classified for the first time as a threat to occurring or intentional, from a comprehensive viewpoint and with peace and security, in accordance with Article 39 of the Charter of more effective coordination among the various departments and the United Nations. agencies of the US federal administration.

At national level, security strategies address, to a greater In Spain, the 2017 National Security Strategy considers or lesser extent, the security threats engendered by the epidemics and pandemics as a challenge to national security and emergence of pandemics, and are even complemented by sets the objective of “adopting preparedness and response plans specific strategies seeking to strengthen national capacities to for both generic and specific health risks, applying the principle prevent, detect, respond and, where appropriate, recover from of coordination between the Spanish Central Administration and a health threat. those of the Autonomous Communities as well as with international organizations, such as the WHO or, within the EU, the European For instance, in 2018 Britain published a review of its national Centre for Disease Prevention and Control”. In this regard, the security strategy entitled National Security Capability Review, Armed Forces have demonstrated how, using their capabilities, which includes diseases as a new challenge, placing them at they can support civilian authorities to mitigate the consequences the same level as terrorism or cyber-attacks. A few months later of a pandemic outbreak, as is currently happening with Operation it adopted the first National Biosecurity Strategy: UK Biological Balmis in the fight against coronavirus. Security Strategy. There is no such thing as zero risk for pandemics, and even As for the US, the 2017 National Security Strategy establishes less so in such a changing world. Globalization has made the world that biological incidents have the potential to cause catastrophic more vulnerable to the social and economic impacts of infectious effects either as a result of a natural outbreak or of a deliberate disease outbreaks. At international level, there will be a need to incident. Ebola, SARS and the anthrax incident are examples of foster collaboration and cooperation through a pragmatic use of how a biological threat strikes at the country’s security, causing diplomacy and multilateralism. At national level, an effort will be casualties, generating economic losses and questioning the required to prepare and integrate all civilian and military capabilities credibility of government institutions. to face new epidemic outbreaks, whether natural or deliberate.L US Army/Thomas Bey UN/Evan Scheinder

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 33 [ armed forces ] Allies in BÉTERA NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Spain Headquarters is this year available to the Alliance for use as a joint force command

HE first thing one sees the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps VALENCIA AS A when entering the NATO - Spain Headquarters (NRDC-ESP). This Headquarters is the result of a Headquarters in Bétera is The spectrum of conflicts it could strategic concept defined by the Alliance eleven masts with the flags respond to is very wide; however, this in 1999, at a time when it looked as of eleven countries, and in General focuses on two NATO flanks: though the old confrontation between theT middle is the banner of the Atlantic “In Eastern Europe, NATO is facing blocks would disappear for good. Alliance. Military personnel from a scenario of a conventional nature The new threats made it advisable France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, combined with non-classical (hybrid) to have a number of units and Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, procedures. In the South, however, means permanently available and, in the United Kingdom and the United the threat is not so conventional, and particular, to have easily deployable States work there every day. This year, is based more on terrorist or criminal high readiness headquarters. the Czech Republic is also present and, groups acting from safe havens in the In this regard, the Alliance launched therefore, soon there will be twelve flags. Sahel region and leading to instability an offer of participation to its member The pace of this unit has increased in our nations, outside our borders and states, and Spain responded with the in the past months since it obtained the even in energy transit lines, maritime commitment to establishing one of these certification to be used as a joint force routes, etc.” headquarters in Bétera (Valencia). command. After the evaluation in In 2002, this unit conducted its first Menorca last October during exercise deployment at the Zaragoza training Trident Jackal, this Headquarters will area for its validation, and NATO remain available to the Alliance with 55 of the 300 evaluators were able to verify and this task throughout 2020. certify that it met all the operational If activated, it could project, direct military staff at requirements demanded by the Atlantic and exercise command and control Alliance. over a joint force ranging from 50,000 the headquarters Similarly, Military Base “Jaime I” to 80,000 troops. This is what Bétera in Bétera meets the strict conditions has been prepared for. The commander come from allied and standards set by the Alliance. It of this joint force is Lieutenant General is a modern facility, suitable for the Fernando García-, head of countries troops it houses. In addition to the

34 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 NRDC-ESP

Meeting at the command post deployed during exercise Deployex last February at the Marines military base (Valencia). Lieutenant General García-Vaquero receives an update on the operational situation. The and Section Chiefs attend the meeting.

Personnel from various allied nations talk at the door of the headquarters command building.

A female soldier raises NATO flag at Bétera Arrival of the VJTF led military base. by Bétera at the port of Szczecin (Poland) for exercise Brilliant Jump Abril 2020 in 2016. NRDC-ESP Command Post Operations Centre deployed during exercise Trident Jaguar in Menorca in 2014. training area and the heliport, another International headquarters have of the , assigned to the fundamental aspect of this military base a special appeal. This is the view Personnel section who, in this year of is its proximity and access to Manises of French Colonel Philippe Potin, activation of Bétera as a joint force, airport and to the port of Valencia. head of the engineering section at makes sure that the documents of all the These two locations are vital for Bétera. “Working in a multinational members of the unit are in order before logistic projection, and several military environment is engaging”, assures this receiving deployment instructions operations have been supported from officer with previous experience in this that could arrive at any time. “I had these premises since the 1990s: Bosnia type of units. “I have been stationed in already worked with the and Herzegovina, , Afghanistan, the United States, in the , and in Afghanistan, but I have got to know Indonesia, Congo, Lebanon and it is now a privilege to be in Spain, due it better in Valencia. It’s a three-year Pakistan. to the prestige of this unit, and be able to assignment, but I have applied for an More than 55 of the 300 military staff enjoy 350 days of sunshine a year”. extension”, he adds. forming part of this headquarters are This view is very similar to that of allied personnel. The highest-ranking Jens Friedrich, Second Lieutenant A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY military officer is Major-General Since obtaining its certification in Nelson Martins Viegas Pires from 2002, Bétera has participated in two the . He is deputy The base real operations: the first one, at the commander of a headquarters that, in end of 2005 after the earthquake his own words, “promotes a series of meets the strict that devastated the Kashmir region values among its members that make it in Pakistan; and the second one, in cohesive. In addition to being a reference conditions and 2012 in Afghanistan within ISAF point for the Atlantic Alliance”, he Joint Command. Commander Manuel says, “this military base promotes unity standards set by Vicente Pedro Novella, stationed at among Western nations and is perfectly the unit’s operation centre —“the eyes integrated in Valencia”. the Alliance and ears of the headquarters”, as he

36 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 [ armed forces ]

This headquarters has already participated in two real operations, in Pakistan and Afghanistan puts it— had the privilege of commander Ana Maria Tamas. participating in both missions. “We can’t leave anything to “In Pakistan, I commanded improvisation”, she adds. the transmission centre that This ability to adapt, and the provides telecommunication process of learning lessons, has service to the headquarters. allowed Bétera to easily reinforce In Afghanistan, I was part of other organizations, such as the the psychological operations OHQ of the European Union planning team. It is impossible Rapid Response Force in 2010, to forget those days, when a 2017 and 2019. serviceman puts into practice everything he has learned in ESSENTIAL SUPPORT his years of training”. In order to fulfil its missions Two years after the mission within the demanding deadlines

in Afghanistan, at the 2014 NRDC-ESP set by the Alliance, Bétera has Wales Summit, and after Soldiers from the Headquarters Battalion during a Headquarters Battalion: “We Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the deployment to the island of Menorca provide the necessary means and NATO made some changes to for exercise Trident Jackal 19. personnel for the deployment its high-readiness forces to and functioning of the HQ make them more agile and yet more In this process, in which the during operations”, says Lieutenant powerful, and hence the Very High multinational unit has adapted to new Colonel Diego Rosales, head of the Readiness Joint Task Force or VJTF missions in new scenarios, it has been battalion. This year, in which this was established. crucial to follow the “Lessons Learned” Headquarters is placed at the disposal Bétera Headquarters was the first procedure established by NATO of NATO, logistic planning is vital. NATO unit to command the VJTF, doctrine. “Identifying where and how “Everything is in order: the materiel is a force that was certified after a to improve is essential when making ready, our people are prepared and the deployment and following an exercise decisions during a military operation, procedures have been rehearsed”. in different locations in Spain, Italy especially in a rapid deployment unit In addition, this battalion carries and Portugal in 2015 during exercise like this one”, explains one of the out a wide range of support tasks Trident Juncture. officers assigned to this task, Romanian enabling daily work in Bétera: “From providing permanent security to the facilities and escorting authorities, to supplying drivers, health care and the necessary logistic support to organize meetings and conferences”. It is also the fundamental support for the organization and implementation of all the training exercises in which this headquarters participates. Another key component is the Battalion, responsible for providing security to the command post “so that the headquarters can carry out its main task: the command and control of the units”, points out its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Iñigo Pérez. It also assumes route control in deployments and has, “among other exclusive capabilities”, a section devoted to police intervention and the protection of authorities. “It’s a Planning actions for the control and conduct of operations are prepared in the regular unique unit in the whole of the Armed meetings of the General Staff. Forces”, points out this lieutenant

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 37 [ armed forces ]

control operations”, says Jose Antonio Agüero Martinez, Chief of Staff of the Headquarters, who is well aware of the importance of exercising the command of the units in a secure manner. “But security is not just physical”, he warns, “we should also be able to ensure the electronic and cyber security of our command post and of our forces”.

JOINT TASK FORCE IN 2020 Last October, NATO Headquarters in Bétera was deployed to the island of Menorca during exercise Trident Jackal to obtain its certification as a Joint Task Force Headquarters. Over 1,000 soldiers were stationed on the island, including the Headquarters Battalion, the Military Police Battalion and a unit from the Transmission Command, which provided secure Allies from different nations share offices and premises. Working together in English, telecommunication links. By integra- a group of military personnel prepare a presentation in the planning section. ting procedures, personnel and equipment, NATO Rapid Deployable colonel in reference to the high level Corps - Spain Headquarters showed of specialization of its personnel: more the Alliance that it can lead a joint than 90 percent have a military police Bétera was the military force (with land, sea, air, diploma. The battalion is completed special operations and cyberspace with a canine section. One of the most first NATO components) ranging from 50,000 to appreciated dogs in this section is Hulk, 80,000 troops. an explosive detector with experience headquarters to Throughout this year, it has con- in three international missions. He will ducted and will continue conducting soon retire. “We will miss him and we command the exercises to maintain its capabilities will always be grateful to him for how intact. Some exercises were carried he protected us”, said Corporal Simón VJTF out in different locations in the Tomás Díaz, who has been his guide and will welcome him home as part of his family.

SECURE COMMUNICATIONS At Bétera’s HQ people live and work in English, but in addition to the language of Shakespeare, there is also a lesser-known, but equally important language: that of transmissions. The plans and orders that are generated, once the HQ is projected and deployed, must be able to be transmitted rapidly and safely to the military forces of the 29 countries —soon to be 30— comprising the Alliance. Running a multinational force means that satellites, radios and all the equipment required to give orders— thousands of kilometres away— are interoperable. “Satellite communications enable us to deploy out of the enemy’s reach, and thus The Military Police Battalion has a canine section. In this photo, one of the dogs maintain our capability to command and of the unit trained to detect explosives.

38 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Bétera led exercise Trident Juncture for certification as HQ VJTF in 2015. Zaragoza’s military training area.

Valencia province during the month After Alertex, a Deployment exercise wars, where the borders between the of February, simulating a real-life (Deployex, in NATO terminology) was real and the virtual could be similar activation and the subsequent conducted, carrying out the actual to a “like” that can determine whether deployment of the joint task force. projection of all other command battles are won or lost. In a first phase, an Alert exercise structures, in different time frames, until Bétera has been prepared for this was conducted (Alertex, in NATO the joint task force was fully operational full spectrum of conflicts. NATO terminology). Enlisted personnel on-site in less than 30 days. Thanks to Rapid Deployable Corps - Spain receive via SMS the order to report these activities, and others in various Headquarters will continue to be ready to the base after activation. Next, areas, Bétera will manage to maintain and operational for the rest of the year. the first headquarters command its availability throughout 2020. We are talking about a modern, component —the Operational Liaison At this joint level, the exercise is agile, high-tech and very powerful unit, and Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) not only physical. “As one moves up although for Major Tamas, Bétera’s —is deployed to the so-called area of through the various levels of command, real strength is not just being able to operations. “Within 48 hours this unit the weight of the combat progressively command more than 50,000 soldiers. establishes physical contact with the shifts from the physical to the cognitive “The strength of NATO Headquarters”, authorities of the country where the realm”, explains General Agüero. “At she says, “is knowing, understanding force will be heading and coordinates this level, information operations turn and believing that the values of freedom on-site all that is necessary for the into a different kind of exercise”, he and democracy bind all its members and deployment. Meanwhile, we monitor states. In a globalized world, social make the world a much safer place. It the deployment operation in real time networks are yet “another weapon also makes us a bit better”. from the centre of operations”, explains system”, which need to be known in Juanjo Crespo Major Pedro Novella. order to fight them, especially in hybrid Photos: Pepe Díaz The headquarters is prepared to command a joint task force of up to 80,000 troops

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 39 PERSPECTIVE

SPANISH INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES 50 YEARS watching the world change

Francisco José Dacoba Cerviño General Director of the IEEE (Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies)

his April marks the 50th anniversary of the Spanish life to occur almost helter-skelter. We, the citizens, feel overwhelmed Institute for Strategic Studies, established by decree in and States are overcome by a series of faits accomplis they have 1970 as an integral part of what was then the recently had no time to comprehend or include in their respective legal established Centre for Higher National Defence Studies frameworks. Electronic commerce, collaborative economy or major (CESEDEN)T dating back to 1964. Today, with the perspective given technology companies, operating in a transnational ecosystem, by half a century, it is fair to acknowledge the wisdom of those evade governmental fiscal control. If it was already proving difficult authorities who were well ahead of their time and foresaw the to enforce internationally accepted legislation in international waters opportunity for Spanish society and its military to have a meeting or the air, it will probably be even more complicated to regulate forum in the 1960s, the CESEDEN, and almost at the same time the use of outer space or, worse still, cyberspace. The implications include in such Centre an institution devoted to strategic studies in the security field are obvious. This brief list of determinant and analysis, the IEEE. factors transforming the current international order is completed by demographic trends, extreme weather events, the spread of From an international standpoint, these 50 years have been pandemics, global trade, social networks, the emergence of new intense and decisive. Events have taken place at break-neck speed non-state actors, terrorism that recognizes no borders, etc. giving way to a profound reconfiguration of global geopolitical balances. Various factors have contributed both to the changes In its still short life, the Institute has coexisted with three different and to the speed with which they have occurred. Globalization international orders; the bipolar world of the gave way, is not by its very nature a peaceful phenomenon. Globalization after the collapse of the , to a brief phase of American has blurred borders and narrowed distances, thus increasing hegemony and this, in turn, has now led to a multipolar order, albeit the possibility of a confrontation between actors who were once asymmetrical since the capabilities of the major powers, as well as far apart and, as a reaction effect, today there is a powerful trend their weaknesses, differ substantially from one another. The speed towards regionalization, fragmentation, of change is compounded by uncertainty. nationalism and the exacerbation of ethnic We are aware that the model based on groups. Once the health emergency In these decades, the standards taken on by the international caused by SARS-CoV-19 is over, States community is openly questioned, that will very likely have protectionist and globalization has multilateralism is facing a difficult time renationalization reactions in order to when confronted with the undeniable thrust protect at least part of the supply lines that blurred borders of unilateral initiatives, if not widespread are currently too delocalized. nationalism. Slowly but surely, we have and narrowed witnessed the breakdown of international New disruptive technologies provide the governance systems in the areas of trade, necessary tools for changes in our way of distances climate and arms control. The most recent

40 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Rafael Navarro / Photographic material: Pepe Díaz, NATO, EFE and CHOD. Rafael Navarro / Photographic material: Pepe Díaz, NATO, data on global military expenditure show that a new rearmament possibility of a decoupling within the international community, race between the old and new powers is taking place. Now that the which is divided and aligned around one of these two new leaders. happy years of the 1990s are already forgotten, Defence budgets Last February’s Munich Security Conference was held under the are increasing steadily. Outer space, the Arctic Ocean, the East and significant heading of “Westlessness” of the international order, South China Seas, the various actors in the Middle East or even thus referring to the loss of pre-eminence of the values of liberal some relevant countries in Africa are all being militarized. democracies, values we wrongly believed to be widely accepted.

In the face of these realities, it is hard to imagine the new CHINA: THE EMERGING POWER upcoming system of global governance. As history has shown, it is China’s leading role stands out in this apparent distribution of not too far-fetched to conclude that these 50 years bring us once powers. After Mao’s death, the three presidents prior to the current again closer to the starting point, to a reborn bipolarity, this time leader, Xi Jinping, carried out a discreet yet effective transformation where the United States and China are concerned. Fortunately, this process of the old Central Empire to make it evolve from a bipolarity is not based on the mutual threat of a nuclear holocaust completely centralized economy, which had left the country in a but rather on a reckless rivalry in trade and, undoubtedly and dilapidated state, to a new system, also ruled with an iron but much more importantly, in the technological field. If globalization drives more pragmatic fist. “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or us towards international cooperation in these and other aspects, white, as long as it catches mice”, said Deng Xiaoping. The priority technological and trade frictions bring us face to face with the was to lift hundreds of millions of Chinese out of poverty to steadily

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 41 PERSPECTIVE

join the ranks of the middle class. In order to achieve this, China became the world’s factory and began the mass production of low-quality products, copied from the West, using extensive and unskilled labour. It was in 2012 when, with the arrival of Xi, the government abandoned both discretion and its poor production model. The new target was now to appear as a leading power in trade and technology and, although often overlooked, also in the military field. The initiative commonly known as the New Silk Road is nothing short of an enormous infrastructure investment programme almost all over the world, through which vast amounts of now much more refined Chinese exports circulate, while the country imports the raw materials it requires to feed its voracious productive machinery. In the technological field, the project is called Made in China 2025, and the objective is to lead new disruptive technologies: artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, nanorobotics, blockchain, big data, renewable energies, etc. The 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China will be celebrated in 2049. This is the date chosen to put the finishing touches to these and other strategic projects so that China can assert itself as a world leader in trade and technology. This is also the deadline for restoring the country’s territorial integrity, with an eye on Taiwan, which explains the important and sustained budgetary effort the country has been making to modernize its Armed Forces.

USA: THE CHALLENGED POWER In the face of such a challenge, it is not surprising that the United The Atlantic Alliance, for its part, has to manage its profound States described China and Russia in its 2017 National Security adaptation to this global scenario, so different from the one Strategy as “revisionist powers that want to shape a world witnessed more than 70 years ago during the signing of the antithetical to U.S. values and interests”. The American concern Washington Treaty. President Macron’s diagnosis of “brain is not recent. Obama’s administration already identified the - death” has spurred efforts to prove that this is not the case, but Pacific region as the world’s new centre of gravity. challenges are enormous. In addition to relations with Russia and China, highly complex scenarios remain active in the Middle When setting its priorities in this scenario, the United States East and Afghanistan such as international terrorism, outer space, gradually reduced its attention and presence in other theatres that cyberspace and technological competition. The current strategic had previously been a priority. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the concept needs to be reviewed in-depth as much has happened in collapse of the Soviet Union released tensions accumulated over its ten years of existence. decades. Europe, once a potential Cold War battleground, gave up its prominence in the 1990s to the Middle East region, located on EUROPE: THE WOULD-BE POWER an inexhaustible sea of oil, which was then of utmost importance Without giving up the transatlantic link, the European project is for maintaining Western industrial machinery. This interest in the being questioned from both within and outside. The disagreements Gulf region was reinforced by the War on Terror declared after the with the US administration, Brexit, the different security perceptions attacks of September 11, 2001, which focused on Salafist jihadism, between Eastern and Southern countries or its internal cohesion, from the Arabian Peninsula to Afghanistan. The weariness of in clear retreat, outline an uncertain future for the Old Continent. American society with these wars to which there was no end in The new attaches utmost importance to sight and the energy sufficiency that fracking provides to the United providing the Union with a genuine strategic autonomy; however, States are two good reasons to turn one’s eyes to the thriving this will not be an easy task. This autonomy requires identifying Pacific scenario. interests shared by all Member States and the strong determination

42 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 alien to us. At the same time, aware of our entity and possibilities as a medium power in the international order, Spain focuses its most immediate attention with a regional perspective, identifying the Maghreb and the Sahel as priority areas of attention. The stability, progress and well-being of these very close societies are of the greatest interest to National Security. On the other hand, although not so close geographically, there are plenty of reasons for promoting the closest relations with our sister countries in America, in the economic, commercial, cultural and, certainly, also in the security and defence fields.

THE FUTURE IS NOT SET IN STONE Throughout these 50 years, the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies has consistently observed the developments in the international arena and analysed their implications for national security. The change undergone on the global stage, which has materialized in a multiplicity of actors interacting on an increasingly reduced playing field, the world, has exponentially increased the areas of interest, both geographic and thematic, on which an institution of geostrategic analysis, such as the IEEE, should focus. The Euro-Atlantic region, whose unifying element is the Atlantic Alliance; Europe, with special attention to the invariably complex relations with Russia; the geostrategic unity represented by

Rafael Navarro / Photographic material: Pepe Díaz, NATO, EFE and CHOD. Rafael Navarro / Photographic material: Pepe Díaz, NATO, the Maghreb and the Sahel; the Middle East and, of course, Ibero-America, all attract the attention of the Institute’s analysts. This does to defend them. And this should take shape in the defence field by not mean that regions such as Afghanistan or Asia-Pacific can be boosting industry, trade and new technologies. The dilemma seems neglected. Beyond the geographical scenarios, it becomes paramount obvious; faced with the prospect of becoming irrelevant, Europe to focus on monitoring Salafist terrorism, conflicts in cyberspace, can only opt for moving decisively towards greater integration. demographic trends - so disparate in different parts of the world -, on new technologies, climate change, epidemics and pandemics, the Spain, whose influence in Europe should increase after the evolution of megacities, etc. withdrawal of the United Kingdom, is called upon to play a leading role in the Union. It shares projects, threats and challenges with This brief insight into the 50 years of the Spanish Institute for the other partners. However, at the same time, it has its own Strategic Studies has revealed a world in constant change to interests, special relations with different regions in the world due which the IEEE has been a discreet witness. Those who celebrate to its unquestionably unique geographical position, which serves its first centenary in another fifty years will most probably witness as a bridge between North and South, an evolution of the international order, East and West. Spain is a substantial which today beggars the imagination. part of Europe, it has looked toward the Spain shares We hope this permanent transformation Mediterranean for centuries, it has a good will cast out fears that current economic neighbourly relationship with Africa and projects, threats and technological conflicts will lead to it views America with a spirit of cultural other kinds of confrontations. But, above and historical community. This leads us to and challenges all, we want democratic societies to adopt a global view that is consistent with celebrate many more decades of earnest the parameters of globalization; nothing with EU cooperation in defence of values such as that happens in the world, regardless people’s dignity and equality, human rights, of how distant its origin may seem, is countries progress and freedom. L

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 43 TECHNOLOGY

Next Generation Weapon System, NGWS PILLAR OF THE NEW GENERATION OF EUROPEAN AEROSPACE POWER

General Javier Salto, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz and General Philippe Lavigne Spanish, German and French Air Force Chiefs of Staff

URING the final stage of the Cold War, Western nations duly processed and properly distributed information in order to found themselves in need of developing weapon make the right decision in near-to-real time. programmes that would balance the capability acquired by countries on the other side of the Iron Curtain to ensure In this panorama of complex scenarios, sophisticated weapon Dthe defence of their airspace, their territory and their sovereignty. systems and hybrid strategies, the mission of the aerospace In the case of the Spanish, German and French Air Forces, these forces will be increasingly essential to protect national sovereignty, programmes materialized in the design and production of the the integrity of our territory, the security of our citizens and ensure Eurofighter (Germany and Spain) and Rafale (France) fighter jets, the support of our European and NATO allies. which entered into service in the first decade of this 21st century and have been a success story in the field of fighter jet aviation and the In order to anticipate the challenges of this uncertain future, the European aerospace industry. Air Force Chiefs of Staff of Germany (Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz), Spain (General Javier Salto) and France (General At present, the foreign policy of certain relevant countries once again Philippe Lavigne) signed in June 2019 a Letter of Intent for the presents challenges to the security of Europe, with the development development of the so-called Next Generation Weapon System of new capabilities that, in case of conflict, would significantly reduce (NGWS), which is meant to be the core of national Future Combat our Armed Forces’ freedom of action in the aerospace field and their Air Systems (FCAS). ability to deter against potential hostile actions. The Defence Ministries of the three nations have already agreed It is, therefore, essential to look to the future. The scenario in on the High Level Common Operational Requirements Document which our Armed Forces will foreseeably operate in the 2040s is for the NGWS/FCAS, a system that will also consist of a Next complex, as competition between the great powers is expected Generation Fighter (NGF) and additional remote platforms. This is to increase while the instability generated by conflicts in the so- the way forward to maintain the superiority of our Air Forces over called “failed states” will be maintained. All of this will occur in a those of any opponent and be ready to operate interconnected in framework that will pose great challenges to the traditional use of complex and disputed scenarios. our resources and bring us face-to-face with “hybrid” strategies, which are those that combine conventional military means with But, how do we want this new system to be? Should it be more non-military elements. At the same time, battlefields will become dynamic, more agile, or less detectable than today’s most unpredictable and will include both large urban agglomerations sophisticated systems? Should it develop a concept of connectivity and maritime, air and space areas that are not subject to the and cooperation with completely new systems? Should it fly faster sovereignty of any State. One of the most important aspects to and higher than our opponents’ capabilities or, on the contrary, be taken into consideration will be the difficulty to distinguish lower than their systems’ detection capabilities? Will we have to elements that are hostile from those that are not. This will require exploit all the elements of the electromagnetic, electro-optical and the use of technological developments to have timely access to infrared spectrum in order to react faster to threats?

44 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Air Force

The working groups of the three nations are already searching for Paris to precisely define the requirements of the NGWS and its answers to some of these questions. European air forces need demonstrators. The first research and technology phase is about the NGWS to be a multi-mission system, capable of acting in all to begin, with a view to having the fighter jet demonstrator available aspects of air combat and operating both from their airbases and on schedule in 2026, thus achieving the common goal of reaching deployment bases, or even from ships. Similarly, it must be able a first operational capability in 2040. to work in conjunction with the systems currently in service, so that they can integrate their capabilities into the NGWS. The future We, the Chiefs of the three Air Forces are paving the way for combat air system will not only provide a new generation platform the success of a system that will actually be born in 20 years. to replace the Eurofighter in Spain and Germany and the Rafale in Meetings are being held periodically to ensure compliance with France, but will interact with them and with their future modernized common operational requirements. Within this framework, we versions, as well as with other major air, land, maritime, space and have also agreed to help national capability planning processes to cyber programmes currently in the development and acquisition converge as much as possible to optimize resources, starting with process. everything related to connectivity. In this regard, we plan to sign a trilateral document in common agreement on this matter in the The best way to deal with the next generation of aerospace next ILA Berlin Air Show in May 2020. combat capabilities will be by combining manned platforms that will operate in conjunction with a wide variety of unmanned systems The NGWS/FCAS programme will also enable close cooperation and elements. A combat management system assisted by artificial between national industries and their air forces, which is key to intelligence will help obtain the necessary information to make the ensure the competitiveness of European air power. At a time decision-making process and implementation of operations faster like the present, our continent should step up efforts to stimulate and more efficient. The information will also be accurately distributed Europe’s integration and strategic vision through multinational by communications networks, while maintaining the human element collaboration. in the decision-making process. We are convinced that this European As for the milestones that are being Cooperation cooperation is not only a significant con- reached, after the cooperation treaty tribution to NATO’s and the EU’s national signed by Germany and France on is the best way defence capabilities, but also the best January 31, 2019, both nations signed possible way to preserve European inde- the contract of the first Franco-German to preserve pendence in key defence technologies, conceptual study, which Spain has now providing our air forces and nations with joined. In October 2019, a multinational independence in the best systems to face and overcome project team with French, German and future threats in the competitive and com- Spanish experts was established in key technologies plex aerospace domain. L

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 45 [ interview ]

Lieutenant General Juan Montenegro, Spanish Military Representative to NATO and European Union Military Committees (MILREP - SP) “NATO and the EU are two sides of the same coin: OUR SECURITY” MILREP highlights Spain’s unwavering commitment to both organizations and emphasizes that we are the biggest contributor to EU missions and operations.

UAN Montenegro is un- should be “a true global actor with stra- dealt with and the decisions adopted in doubtedly one of the most tegic autonomy”, although this must be the military committees, in close coopera- knowledgeable persons done “in an environment of collabora- tion with the Permanent Representations about how NATO and tion, integration and maximum coop- in the North Atlantic Council and the the European Union are eration with the Alliance”. European Union Political and Secu- respondingJ to the security challenges rity Committee, in order to present to of the 21st century and the role Spain —What exactly is your mission as them Spain’s military perspective and is playing in both organizations. He Spanish MILREP? keep abreast of the political stance on all is an Army Lieutenant General and —As Representative of the Defence issues regarding security and defence. has served, among other positions, as Chief of Staff to NATO and EU Mil- We also carry out technical-military advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff itary Committees, my main responsi- studies and projects in the military com- during the 2002 Spanish Presidency bility is to look after our national in- mittees, such as the recently adopted of the EU Council; as EUROCORPS terests in these organizations so as to NATO Military Strategy, agreed upon HQ Deputy Chief of Staff Operations optimize our Armed Forces’ contribu- after difficult negotiations and signed by in Strasbourg; and has commanded the tion to the State’s external action. In the Defence Chiefs of Staff in May 2019. HQ NATO Rapid Deployable Corps particular, my job is to report to the This is a fundamental document that Spain (NRDC-ESP) DCOS Opera- Defence Chief of Staff on the matters will guide the development of every new tions in Betera (Valencia). From these concept as well as the military posture of posts he has participated in some of the Alliance. the most important international exer- cises in recent years, such as Trident “The —How do NATO and the EU coordi- Jaguar 2014, in which Spain certi- nate decisions on a political level and fied the first land headquarters capa- Mediterranean, implement such decisions at military ble of planning and conducting joint level? operations; or Brilliant Jump 2016, in Africa and Latin —In the case of NATO, the Atlantic Coun- which the Very High Readiness Joint cil’s decisions in any of its formats (Prime Task Force (VJTF) was certified. He America are Ministers, Ministers or Ambassadors has been Spain’s representative to the Permanent Representatives) are set highest EU and NATO military bodies strategic priorities out in documents whereby tasks and for the past year, a position from which missions are always assigned through he affirms that the European Union for Spain” the Military Committee to NATO force

46 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 different areas, such as intelligence, op- erations, crisis-management exercises or logistics.

—Brussels insists that a stronger Eu- rope leads to a stronger NATO…. —Although both organizations are autonomous, in the case of the EU, 21 of its states are also NATO members. This means that almost 90 per cent of the EU population are also NATO members, or that nearly 80 per cent of the total defence budget of the 27 EU Member States is also a NATO bud- get, all of which results in the clear idea that the more united the 27 EU partners stand, the stronger NATO will be. The European Union must be a true global actor and have consider- able strategic autonomy. The EU has huge potential for crisis management, offering global solutions thanks to a wide variety of diplomatic, economic and humanitarian assistance mecha- nisms, as well as for the development of the justice, legal, security and de- fence sectors. NATO, for its part, may be more suitable for collective defence and the use of the essentially military instrument, without forgetting NA- TO’s other two primary tasks: cooper- ative security and crisis management. However, the European link can never replace the transatlantic link. The idea of creating a European army is good, although it must be done in an atmo- sphere of collaboration, integration and maximum cooperation between NATO and the EU. Increasing the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the European countries undoubtedly Pepe Díaz reinforces the security and defence of Lt Gen Montenegro . The work of NATO’s both organizations. The bottom line is points out that Europe Military Staff (IMS) is vital here as the that NATO and the EU are two sides has “enormous Military Committee’s working body. of the same coin, and this coin is the potential for crisis The process is similar in the European security of our societies. management, offering Union, with some differences due to the global solutions”, and distinct nature of this organization. In any —What is your opinion about Spain’s that NATO’s greatest case, both the political sphere —rep- role in these two organizations? asset is “collective resented by the Political and Security —We are reliable contributors and part- defence”. Committee—, and the military sphere ners in both organizations. Obviously, —the EU Military Committee and the although the scale of our contributions Defence Staff—, work together creat- is similar, our specific weight is higher ing synergies between the political and in the EU than in NATO. If we analyse military strategic levels. Both organiza- it from the objective viewpoint of or- tions seek complementarity between der, according to certain studies Spain the political and military fields, with ranks 20th in the world in terms of the a constant exchange of information in importance of its Armed Forces. We

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 47 [ interview ]

are the seventh nation in NATO in since our threat perception is different proportion to the size of our popula- to that of our allies. tion and economy and, after Brexit, the fourth in the European Union. —Today, Europe is experiencing an Moreover, we are consistently the unprecedented boost to common se- biggest contributor to military opera- curity and defence. How does this tions and missions in the EU, and our impact the EU Military Committee? soldiers are present in each and every —It is a frenetic activity. Spain is firm- one of them. ly committed to moving further in line This gives us a moral strength that with the EU Global Security Strategy, ensures our voice is listened to atten- first through the missions and operations tively. We are also one of the most ac- of the Common Security and Defence tive countries in shaping the initiatives Policy, CSDP, and in the search for sy- underway in the European Union; for nergies with NATO. instance, we are one of the countries The Military Committee is constantly participating in more projects in Per- discussing the purely military dimen- manent Structured Cooperation. sion of all the initiatives resulting from In NATO, where the United States this impetus, especially with regard to holds significant weight, we are also the Permanent Structured Coopera- important contributors; however, in tion, the Coordinated Annual Review this case, we are more focused on on Defence, the European Defence the operations and deterrence fields. Fund and the Military Planning and Spain is an example of solidarity and Conduct Capability. commitment due to All of these are our contribution to very dynamic initia- NATO operations tives, in the process and missions in all “The Military of maturation, and scenarios. with an important Committee is technical-military —What are Spain’s profile. Therefore, strategic priorities? proving crucial the opinion of the —They can only be Military Committee those expressed in is particularly rele- the 2017 National to shape the vant to shape them, Security Strategy, as bearing in mind that well as those includ- EU’s defence Member States have ed in the Alliance different sensitivi- Strategic Concept initiatives” ties that should be Lt Gen Montenegro in the cockpit of a NATO early warning AWACS aircraft in the German Air Base Geilenkirchen. and the EU Glob- contemplated. al Security Strategy of 2016. Europe I think that it is proving particular- ish initiative and with our very active and the transatlantic link are priority ly helpful in the three initiatives linked participation. areas of interest for our security and to capability development —PESCO, The objective is for Brussels to have defence, together with the Mediter- CARD and EDF—, since, in the end, a structure capable of carrying out the ranean, Africa and . As the idea is to ensure our Armed Forces planning and conduct of non-executive is the case with our Strategy, I would have the necessary military capabili- missions, that is, those with an advisory stress, in particular, the security, sta- ties to conduct their missions, either in and training role. bility and prosperity of our neighbours the purely national field or within the This mitigated an important short- in the southern Mediterranean and the international organizations to which fall in EU military missions, which Maghreb. they belong. was greatly hindering coordination at More generally, the fight against military strategic level. terrorism and exporting stability and —The Military Planning and Conduct In addition, the establishment of security are also essential to us. Capability, MPCC, has recently been es- this permanent structure in Brussels In this regard, and although con- tablished and it coordinates non-executive has enabled the Political and Secu- ceptually the priorities of the National missions. What exactly is it? rity Committee to exercise political Security Strategy address our commit- —First, I would like to stress that this control and strategic management of ments to NATO and the EU, I think capability was established by a Council non-executive activities, and to liaise they put more emphasis on Europe, decision in June 2017, based on a Span- with the rest of EU structures.

48 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 values and principles defended by the Alliance —freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law— are the same as those defended by our Constitution and are those that guide us towards the future in a peaceful and stable environment, allowing our citi- zens to fully develop their rights and freedoms. Spain has always taken a step for- ward when requested: we are present in the Baltic countries with NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence and Air Policing; we are committed to Afghan- istan’s stability, to Turkey’s security and to Iraq’s future; and we sail in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic under the NATO flag. Furthermore, the Alliance is increasingly looking southwards, mostly due to our impe- tus. Moreover, the air defence of all of Southern Europe is conducted from Torrejon. And all this is done not only with forces and headquarters, but also thanks to the continued joint effort of soldiers and diplomats who work hard in NATO and the EU for a safer world.

OTAN —What about the future of the Alliance? —I foresee a promising future. The strategic environment has changed significantly over the last 30 years. We have managed to adapt to those chang- es and I think we will continue doing so in the future. In today’s complex geostrategic environment, Europe’s se- Lt Gen Montenegro in the cockpit of a NATO early warning AWACS aircraft in the German Air Base Geilenkirchen. curity depends on the complementari- ty between NATO and the European —What about the rest of the missions? in the future, in coordination with the Union and on maintaining the trans- —After the review conducted in the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capa- atlantic link that brings together and second semester of 2018, a roadmap bility for civilian missions. binds the two shores of an ocean that was adopted to give concrete form to the Spain has always regarded as a bridge, Council’s decision according to which —NATO is celebrating its 70th an- never a barrier. the MPCC must be ready, at the end niversary this year. How would you It is evident that the Alliance’s com- of 2020, to plan and conduct every describe these years? mitment to the security and defence non-executive mission (its sphere of —With the Alliance, we have had of the Euro-Atlantic region remains control is currently limited to five mis- seven decades of shared security and unchanged, including the union sions) and one executive operation the defence; of challenges to security that among all its members, as well as size of a Battle Group, that is, around have been successfully resolved thanks Spain’s commitment to the Alliance. 2,500 troops. to the two principles on which the In this respect, it is important to Spain intends to continue support- Atlantic Alliance is based: solidarity bear in mind the words of NATO ing the implementation of all those among its members and the essential Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, milestones involving an increase in the transatlantic link. in his closing speech to the United capabilities of the MPCC and enabling As His Majesty King Felipe VI re- States Congress on April 3, 2019: “It’s it to exercise the command and control called in his address to the Atlantic good to have friends”. of all military operations and missions Council on November 21, 2018, the Rosa Ruiz

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 49 TESTIMONY

An agency in good shape FOR A STRONG EUROPE OF DEFENCE

Jorge Domecq Outgoing Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (2015-2020)

HE end of a term of office always offers a good munity and EU policies. In addition to these tasks, the EDA acts in opportunity to take stock and reflect on the results the Union as the guardian of coherence among the various defence achieved and also on the way forward. As I leave cooperation tools that have been defined as a result of the EU Glob- office at the end of January in the European Defence al Strategy. Given its size and budget, I believe that the European Agency (EDA), which I have had the honour and Defence Agency currently assumes a series of impressive tasks and privilegeT of serving as Chief Executive over the last five years, I responsibilities in a flexible and efficient manner. would like to summarise my impressions. Although others will be in charge of assessing the achievements of the Agency during A NEW STRATEGY, A NEW AMBITION my mandate, I hope and trust that these particularly intense However, the end result of its work cannot be taken for granted. years will be later on considered as a turning point for defence As an intergovernmental agency financed and controlled directly cooperation in the European Union and the EDA. by Member States, the EDA can only be as ambitious, productive and useful as the interested parties want it to be. The EU Global FIT FOR PURPOSE Strategy, published in the summer of 2016, was crucial for the I am leaving an Agency that despite its young age (15 years), acknowledgement of this factor. In this document, the EU Mem- has matured and is in good shape to fulfil its purpose. An Agen- ber States and institutions agreed on a new level of ambition for cy that has become an essential actor for the Member States in European defence: to make defence cooperation the norm rather their efforts to build a more effective and interoperable European than the exception and to set strategic autonomy as a long-term defence based on cooperation. An Agency that has consolidated goal. Global Strategy also acknowledged the key role of the EDA its position as the European centre for multinational capability de- in the joint development of defence capabilities, in turn more in- velopment. Today, it is the platform where Defence Ministries and teroperable, and asked Member States to make maximum use Armed Forces can jointly develop the capabilities they need. In of the Agency. 2019, the Agency managed 113 capability and technological re- search programmes and projects, and over 200 activities related This new boost for a more collaborative European defence to capability development, technological research and defence fostered the launching of new defence initiatives in the EU, such industry. as the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), Perma- nent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence However, that is not all. The EDA has also established itself Fund (EDF). The common goal of all of the above is to promote as the main architect of the defence capability prioritisation sys- defence cooperation through joint planning, prioritisation, develop- tem that the EU needs. In 2018, Member States agreed within ment, procurement and the use of military capabilities. the Agency on the eleven priorities that should guide capability development in Europe in the coming years. KEY TOOL FOR EU DEFENCE During all this time, the EDA has made essential contributions to the On the other hand, the EDA is now regarded as an efficient man- development of EU defence cooperation tools, and today plays a ager of technological research programmes for European defence. central role in their implementation and enforcement. It acts as the And, finally, the Agency is the voice of the Defence Ministries and secretariat of the CARD and PESCO (along with the EU External the communication channel between the military and defence com- Action Service – EEAS - and the EU Military Staff), and as the central

50 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Agencia Europea de Defensa operator for the management of defence activities funded by EU European defence landscape and, simultaneously, strengthen its budget. The Agency has also become the guardian of coherence technological and industrial base. of these initiatives by establishing EU priorities in the field of military capabilities and technological research. The utmost attention must be paid to three aspects when pro- moting EU defence initiatives: first, preventing duplication of work, Close cooperation between governments and EU institutions, tools and existing structures. Responsibilities must be defined un- entities and organisations is also paramount for the correct func- ambiguously. For instance, defence policy should remain as an in- tioning of these new cooperation tools. So far, the Council, the EU tergovernmental responsibility, with national Ministries of Defence Military Committee, the EEAS, the EU Military Staff, the European at the forefront of its definition. Likewise, the task of prioritising and Commission and the EDA have all managed to work jointly and in planning capabilities should also remain the responsibility of Mem- the same direction. ber States, developing cooperation at European level by using the EU’s new defence cooperation tools I referred to earlier. SHARING THE LOAD Looking ahead, it is vital that Member States Second, the Union’s new cooperation tools continue to have a clear view of the areas on The EDA is (CARD, PESCO, EDF) must be used and ap- which EDA’s work should focus. The Agen- plied in a coherent and results-oriented manner, cy’s Long Term Review (LTR) carried out in already at paying special attention to the capability develop- 2017, was crucial in this sense. Thanks to ment priorities agreed by the European Union this exercise, the EDA was strengthened as the heart of in the Capability Development Plan (CDP). The a real planning and prioritisation instrument. Agency must play a critical role in all this. It also confirmed the Agency as Europe’s multinational natural centre for the development of de- And finally, Member States must genuine- fence capabilities in a collaborative manner. capability ly and seriously commit themselves to using Finally, the LTR highlighted the role of the these new European tools in the planning EDA as the voice of the military community development. of their national defence and in the capab- with regard to EU policies having defence implications. ility development on which it is based. Otherwise, even the most well-intentioned cooperation efforts will fail to deliver the expected Such clarity on who does what is essential in the European ins- results. This would be a huge missed opportunity affecting the role titutional framework. However, it is even more important since the the European Union wishes to play on the global stage. European Commission decided to establish a Directorate-General for “Defence Industry and Space” in order to manage the European Let me conclude on an optimistic note. The Europe of Defence is Defence Fund. The Commission’s involvement in defence-related taking shape. We are on the right track. However, it will still be a long issues, together with its financial power through the EDF, will con- journey. In order to succeed, it will be increasingly necessary to use stitute a powerful incentive to launch new multinational capability EDA’s technical expertise and proven experience in promoting and projects. If these projects respond to real Defence priorities and facilitating technological cooperation and capability projects. I trust that are well planned and managed, they will be able to improve the Member States will be aware of this and use it accordingly. L

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 51 Admiral Barreto. figures suchas to lightleading which brought the NewWorld, role ofwomenin the important exhibition on Naval Museum’s photo ofthe Above, file

Hélène Gicquel Museum. the CartagenaNaval her figure, asdoes Museum, whichevokes Naval San Fernando first marine,from the Ana MaríadeSoto,the portrait -ontheleftof Above, documentsand

Hélène Gicquel

General Military Archives in Madrid the post of her late the postofherlate Portrait of Catalina Portrait ofCatalina husband, Artillery husband, Artillery Haro forholding (1625); payment (1625); payment II to Catalina de II toCatalinade de Erauso, the de Erauso,the order byPhilip “Mayordomo” Nun, Ensign Nun, in Mahon.

uan van der Hamen y León / Kutxa Bilduma Collection Hélène Gicquel [ history ] PIONEERING WOMEN in the military Feisty ladies, who were ahead of their time, participated in military life with strength and courage, thus becoming part of history

oday, it is no surprise to ocean to reach the New World. They Night of Sorrows (1520). María’s story see a servicewoman in a went there to meet their husbands, to began in 1509, when she decided to mission abroad or carrying get married or in search of adventure or travel with her brother, the out exercises in a military a future, but they all took on male tasks, Francisco de Estrada, to Santo Domingo company. However, what from sail handling to guard duties on and, while working there in a hospital, isT ordinary today was unthinkable in the the voyages. she met the conquistador of Mexico. past, except for some pioneering women who, by chance or by choice, won a FEMALE EXPEDITION TEAMS CONQUEST OF MEXICO place in history. AND WOMEN SETTLERS Time would bring them back together. Let us start with Castile at war in A few years ago, the Naval Museum However, before that, María de Estrada the 16th century. Battles ended with in Madrid highlighted this fact participated in the first expedition that decimated and prisoners who in the exhibition “They were not tried to conquer . She was taken were unable to return to their homes to alone. Women in the Conquest and prisoner and spent five years in jail. defend them. As a result, many women Colonization of America” (RED num. Later, she joined Cortés’ expedition decided to take up arms, as in Palencia. 285), with documents from that time, to the Aztec empire. She was the only biographies and images that underlined woman. “HEADDRESS RIGHT” the importance of women in this Diego Muñoz, a chronicler of that It was 1386. John of Gaunt, Duke process. The catalogue, published by time, emphasized that, in battle, “with of Lancaster, tried to take the Iberian the Defence Ministry, is one of the a sword and a buckler in her hands, Peninsula by taking advantage of entries to be found when searching for she fought courageously with so much its weakness. He landed in Galicia, “women and armies” on the Ministry’s fury and courage that she exceeded the conquered Corunna, Santiago, and Cultural Heritage website and can be efforts of any man”. She thus earned the Orense and then marched to the consulted at the Ministry’s Library- name of “woman soldier”. capital of Palencia, which had no male Documentation Centre. As for Inés Suárez from Extremadura, combatants. However, when the women One of those women who crossed she was granted a royal license in 1537 saw the Duke’s troops approaching, the Atlantic was María de Estrada. She to go to the New World to join her they defended their walls tooth and stood by Hernán Cortés on the fateful husband. However, upon her arrival, nail, and with great efficiency. Such was she discovered she had been widowed their resistance that, in 1388, Lancaster and received the legacy of some lands in signed peace and the Castilian John I Their actions Cuzco. rewarded “his” lady warriors with the She then met Pedro de , “headdress right”, reserved only for earned them royal who she joined in the conquest of . men and quite unusual for women at From the outset, Inés earned the respect that time. Such privilege made them privileges and the of the men in the expedition, caring “knights of honour” and exempted them for the wounded in combat with great from bowing to the king. Today, the red recognition of their diligence. However, it was defending and gold band of their regional costume the city of Santiago de Chile, and in the evokes that courage. male comrades in absence of Valdivia, when she forged the Over the following centuries, more legend of “woman fighter”, for which than 10,000 Spanish women crossed the combat she was awarded a military medal.

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 53 [ history ] Felipe IV endorsed Catalina de Erauso’s rank as an ensign and Carlos IV granted Ana María de Soto the rank of sergeant The chronicles say that, with A pioneering female soldier, she was but allowed her to continue wearing imperturbable cold blood, she did not said to be “violent and quarrelsome”, male attire and gave her the nickname hesitate to behead with her own hands the although the truth is that she chose her with which she ultimately went down seven local lords who started the uprising, own destiny, something that was denied in history. She travelled around Europe then throwing their heads to the natives to women in those days. and in Rome was granted an audience to dissuade them from continuing with Her story is not linked to that of any with Pope Urban VIII, who ratified the fight. This event was captured in the man. She did not accompany any of the grace bestowed upon her by the work of the painter J. Mercedes Ortega them, nor did she follow them across the Spanish sovereign. Finally, she returned (National History Museum in Chile) ocean. She left alone for America, by her to America and settled in Mexico in own choice, to leave behind a life she did 1630, where she lived for the last twenty ADMIRAL OF THE SOUTH SEA not like and to start the military career years of her life. Another woman who was awarded she wanted. Before her death, she wrote her a as a result of her She was born in San Sebastian in memoirs, Story of the Ensign Nun, determination and command was Isabel 1592 and was taken to a Dominican which includes some of the above- Barreto, the first admiral of the Spanish convent as a child. At the age of 15, she mentioned references. She was also Navy, and the only one so far. ran away and travelled pretending to be portrayed by Juan van der Hamen She was born in Galicia and, when a farmer until she boarded a ship bound and in Donostia, her hometown, her she was very young, she travelled with for America. sculpture adorns the gardens of the her family to the . Miramar Palace. She married Captain-General Álvaro de Mendaña (1586) and with him she COMUNERAS embarked on an expedition to colonize While looking toward the New World, the Solomon Islands. They discovered the War of the Comuneros broke out in the Marquesas and the Santa Cruz Castile, which was popularly known Islands, establishing colonies, etc. as “the Revolt of the Comuneros” and Mendaña died of malaria in 1595, shook the region from 1520 to 1522. granting his wife the status of “Adelantada Although several historians claim that and ”, and hence the command the Castilian nobility rose against Carlos of the mission on land and of the fleet. I as they considered that the legitimate

Isabel did not hesitate to pick up Central Military Library Defence Library Virtual queen was Joanna the Mad, who was the gauntlet and lead the expedition, declared unfit to rule and confined in becoming captain-general and admiral. First edition of Bosch’s work on Barreto Tordesillas. and recognition for the Solomon Besieged by Indians and diseases, Islands endeavour. Led by Juan de Padilla, they fought in Barreto ordered her men to leave the Toledo, Madrid, Segovia and Valladolid, Solomon Islands and make their way There she joined the Spanish Army, until they were defeated in Villalar to the Philippines on a difficult journey, just like any other man, to participate on April 23rd, 1521. Padilla’s widow, in which she managed to impose in the conquest of new territories. Her María López de Mendoza y Pacheco, discipline and order, demonstrating expertise in handling weapons and her in mourning but indomitable, assumed great leadership skills considered skills in combat enabled her to receive command of the uprising, governed the extraordinary in those days. the rank of ensign. imperial capital and, from the Alcázar Her portrait, together with documents In 1623, as a result of one of her (fortress), she led the troops until, nine from these expeditions, are kept in the continuous disputes over gambling months later, the city capitulated. She Naval Museum in Madrid. Among and women, she killed a man in Peru was sentenced to death but managed to other cultural institutions of the Defence and was sentenced to death. To avoid flee to Portugal. Ministry, the Central Military Library being executed, she revealed her true She was the most famous comunera, also contains more than one work about sex and her former status as a novice, perhaps due to what was written about this admiral, such as a first edition of which led her back to the convent, in her, and was nicknamed the “lioness Isabel Barreto: Adelantada of the Solomon the viceroyalty this time, where she of Castile”. She inspired a drama by Islands, by Manuel Bosch Barret (1943). spent several years until she was able to Francisco Villaespesa and a successful return to Spain. film in 1951, starring Amparo Rivelles. THE ENSIGN NUN Her fame travelled faster than she The General Military Archive in Madrid The most extraordinary story of all those did herself and, upon her arrival, King stores information about her, as well as documented is, without doubt, that of Philip IV wished to meet her. The about other women-at-arms, such as Catalina de Erauso, the ensign nun. monarch not only maintained her rank Catalina de Haro.

54 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 Half a century later, off the Galician coast, the Hispanic Monarchy was again under threat: the counter-armada of the English Queen Elizabeth I, led by Drake and Norreys. It was 1589, and Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita, known as María Pita, would go down in history as the heroine who defended Corunna from the British attack. The English killed Gregorio de Rocamunde, her husband, in the middle of the siege of the city walls. Full of rage, she took hold of the

Hélène Gicquel spear of the English banner and killed the ensign who was leading the assault. This painting of “Queen Isabella the Catholic visiting the Hospital in Toro” is part Shouting “Whoever has honour, follow of the itinerary “From a woman’s perspective” of the Army Museum in Toledo. me!”, she managed to make the attackers withdraw. Philip II granted her the title of Philip II “outstanding soldier” and a pension equivalent to the salary of an ensign plus awarded five escudos a month, also conferring her a permit to export mules from Spain María Pita to Portugal. The Military History Museum in the title of Corunna dedicates one of its galleries to this figure and displays many exhibits, “outstanding such as her portrait or a diorama soldier” for recreating the battle. THE TOBACCONIST SOLDIER her defence The first Spanish marine was Ana María de Soto, born in Córdoba in of Corunna 1775. She boarded the frigate Mercedes in 1794 posing as a man, using the name of Antonio María de Soto. During her military life, she served as a soldier in the 6th Company of the 11th Marine Battalion, participating, among other actions, in the Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797). She was discharged Standing, sword held four years later when, during a routine high, Inés Suárez medical examination, it was discovered defends the city of that she was a woman. Santiago. José Mercedes Ortega/National History Museum in Chile However, to honour her heroic behaviour, Charles IV granted her a daily salary of two billon reals, the rank of sergeant, and she was also authorized to use the colours of the naval and rank insignia of a sergeant on her women’s clothing. In 1799, she was granted a license to run a tobacconist’s in Montilla, and was thus named the tobacconist soldier. In the Naval Museum in Cartagena, there is an area dedicated to her figure, and the San Fernando Museum preserves original documents from that period and a later portrait of her. Military History Museum in Corunna

Watercolour showing the attack by the British squadron led by April 2020on Corunna, which can be seen in the city’s military museum. Revista Española de Defensa 55 Right, picture of the Ruins of Saragossa, reflecting women’s participation in the fight against . Below, Elizabeth II’s uniform. Military History Museum in Corunna Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita, María Pita. Central Military Library Army Museum

María Agustín, with hidden ammunition for Women were very present the “patriots”, and Álvarez, bayonet in hand, in the War of Independence two more defenders of Saragossa. (1808-1814) Central Military Library Central Military Library

AGAINST NAPOLEON Agustina became a second lieutenant. enlistment of more than 200 women. The name of Agustina de Aragón, the In the General Military Archives in Each of them had a female commander female artillery gunner, was perhaps Segovia, there are valuable documents in charge, who was chosen among the most famous of all the women about “Female artillery gunners” – them: Lucía Jonama y Fitz-Gerald, who joined the fight during the War including information on Francisca Raimunda Nouvilas de Pagès, María of Independence (1808-1814) against Puerta and Luisa Villalba – which Angela Bivern and María Curti. the Napoleonic Empire. She is one are a testimony of the participation of of the many hundreds who remained women in missions of force, intelligence A RED RIBBON unknown, but that represents the and logistics in those years. Under the name of the Santa Barbara courage of all those women. Company, they divided Gerona Agustina Raimunda María Zaragoza SANTA BARBARA COMPANY into four sectors, one per squadron. y Doménech was born in Barcelona in Saragossa was not the only city in They provided health care and went 1786 and moved to Saragossa in 1808 which women rose against Napoleon. wherever their assistance was needed. to join her husband, Sergeant Roca. Gerona also had its own heroines. A red ribbon on their left arm showed During the French siege, she took up There, they established a series of that they were on duty. positions at the Portillo gateway, which military units made up only by women During the attack against Montjuïc was being heavily attacked. She helped and driven by the wives of the officers Castle (Barcelona), “they had their with the supplies, encouraging the who were on the front line. baptism of fire under a hail of bullets, troops by shouting “come on gunners, After the storming of San Daniel bombs and ”, as the historian the women are here for when you can’t Hospital, which they helped evacuate, Javier Santamarta states in his book go on”. She saw the men falling and did they decided to continue with the task Siempre estuvieron ellas (The women not hesitate to run forward among the in an organized manner and requested were always there). dead until she reached a cannon that she the corresponding authorization from In Madrid, on May 2nd, 1808, fired, managing to contain the enemy. Governor Mariano Álvarez, who two women gave their lives, and will After that, she went to the Provincial announced the creation of a female always be remembered: Manuela Council of Teruel, where she joined the military unit on June 22nd, 1809. Malasaña, shot in the Artillery Park Army and continued fighting against Recruitment was such a success that in Monteleón, and Clara del Rey, the French until the end of the conflict. four squadrons were formed with the who fought with her husband and her

56 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020 [ history ]

What courage!, Portrait of Manuela Plate 7 of Goya’s Malasaña, heroine disasters of war pays of May 2nd, in the homage to Agustina exhibition “From a de Aragón. woman’s perspective”. Royal Academy of Fine Arts San Fernando/National General Military Archives in Segovia General Military Archives in Avila

Appointment of Agustina de Aragón as second lieutenant. British and Spanish nurses rolling up bandages, from the collection of the Committee for Spanish Aid. Army Museum three children, aged 15, 17 and 19, This itinerary reviews the relation- The health aspect of the militia and along with the soldiers commanded by ship of women with the military and women’s contribution therein also have Captain Daoíz, Captain Velarde and the Crown over the centuries. There a place of their own on this circuit and Lieutenant Ruiz. are fourteen paintings, photographs the General Military Archives in Avila and original objects distributed over hold various documents on both matters. FROM MADRID TO HISTORY several floors of the museum, which is Literally, at the foot of the cannon, the Castilian-La Mancha fortress. AND IN THE SKIES Sorolla, Manuel Castellano or Among them, the most important The first Spanish woman with a Leonardo Alenza painted Del Rey to exhibits are those related to Queen pilot’s license (1928) was María immortalize her. She, her husband and Elizabeth II and Queen Isabella the Bernaldo de Quirós, although her one of their offspring died on the front Catholic. They offer an idealized expeditions were of a civilian nature. line; while the eldest joined the third vision of the establishment of the first Almost a decade later, in 1937, a fighter squadron in Sagunto. Together field hospital in which, according to Turkish aviator, Sabiha Gökçen, was with Manuela Malasaña, she is buried sources from the time, there was much the world’s first female fighter pilot. in the church of La Buena Dicha, near sovereign involvement. She started to take part in military Gran Vía (Madrid’s main street). operations at the Dersim rebellion in Valencia, Ronda or Bailen were June that year. also battlegrounds in which there are “From a woman’s In Spain, however, our first Air references to the courage of women, or Force pilot, Yolanda Gassó did not join where their role as information agents perspective” is a our Armed Forces until 1991, although or water carriers was decisive. Pérez our pioneer in combat is Rosa María Galdós wrote about them in one of his permanent tour in García-Malea. “National Episodes”. This article does not include all of The Army Museum in Toledo con- the Army Museum them, but it does mention the most tains a beautiful portrait of Manuela important. Women that were pioneers, Malasaña, which is part of the tour and is displayed in brave, ahead of their time and relevant “From a woman’s perspective” and can figures that history should remember. be permanently visited. different galleries Maria Senovilla

April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 57 [ last section ] “SIN LÍMITES” A television blockbuster series about the first round-the-world sea voyage, with the participation of the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Navy

ECOUNTING the tale completed by Elcano, an unexpected Elcano accomplished the feat. Image of of a unique feat in history, and successful ending for the Spice the exhibition entitled We were the first. this million-euro budget Islands fleet of Portuguese explorer production will be shot in , which was theR Canary Islands, the Basque Country sponsored by King Charles I to search and the Dominican Republic with for a westward route to the Maluku film treatment, premieres in Spain, the Islands and, as noted by Lopez United States, Latin America and the Calderon, sailed on unknown seas. United Kingdom... and, at the helm, British director Simon West, author of PROMOTING HISTORY films such as Con Air or Lara Croft: Tomb The Navy Chief of Staff also described Raider. this TV series as a way of bringing this These are some of the pillars of the unique adventure, which empirically future fiction TV series Sin Límites, demonstrated the roundness of the which seeks to publicize the first round- Earth, closer to the audience, particularly opened the door to co-production with the-world sea voyage (1519-1522), an to young people. Amazon Prime Video. unparalleled accomplishment conducted He emphasized its historical accuracy Ricardo Cabornero, Head of Content by the ship Victoria, captained by Spanish and indicated that it is part of the at Amazon Prime Video Spain, stressed sailor Juan Sebastian Elcano. collaboration agreement signed in 2018 the dual Hispanic and international between the Ministry of Defence and nature of the first round-the-world sea PRESENTATION AT THE NAVAL MUSEUM RTVE to carry out different activities voyage and how attractive it is for his This blockbuster, launched by commemorating the 500th anniversary firm to collaborate in the broadcasting of the Spanish Radio and Television of this endeavour. this crucial venture. Corporation (RTVE) and Amazon On behalf of the public channel, The shooting of this TV series will Prime Video with the participation of its interim administrator, Rosa María begin this winter, between December the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Mateo, pointed out the challenge and January, and will be premiered in Navy, was presented at Madrid’s Naval involved in turning this story into an 2021. Each of its four episodes will cost Museum on February 20th and among appealing television series, as well around five million euros. its “guests” were God Neptune and Saint as its financing, a chapter that has The screenwriter is Patxi Amezcua Telmo, patron saint of sailors. and the producer is Miguel The ceremony took place in the Menéndez de Zubillaga (The Endless courtyard next to the exhibition Trench), who compared this round- entitled We were the first (RED no. the-world trip with the experience of 365), organized on the occasion Matt Damon’s character in the movie of this historical feat by the host Interstellar. Finally, Simon West institution. described the voyage as “epic” and Due to its success, the exhibition said that his purpose was to apply all has been extended twice and can his experience to Sin Límites in order be visited until June, said the Navy to ensure it is “faithful to history, Chief of Staff, Admiral Teodoro fast-paced, entertaining and action- Lopez Calderon, who hosted the Armada packed”. event. The Navy Chief of Staff The Navy Chief of Staff hosted the presentation of the TV Esther P. Martínez highlighted the series that took place in the Naval Museum in Madrid. Photos: Hélène Gicquel RTVE and Amazon Prime Video have launched this project to be directed by British filmmaker Simon West

58 Revista Española de Defensa April 2020