Brunssum, The Netherlands – On 05 June 2024, the Chief of Defence of the Spanish Armed Forces, Admiral Teodoro Esteban López Calderón visited Allied Joint Force Command HQ Brunssum (JFCBS HQ).
Spain is a responsible friend and ally, committed to NATO's defence objectives
Commander JFC Brunssum, General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, warmly welcomed Admiral López Calderón on his first official visit to this Headquarters. In their exchange, he emphasised the important contribution of Spain to HQ JFC Brunssum, symbolised by the position of the Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General Luis Lanchares of the Spanish Army.
General Miglietta also mentioned Spain’s efforts to contribute significant military capabilities to the common effort in the defence of Allied territory, especially in terms of ground forces. This commitment is part of the agreements adopted by the countries in the framework of the NATO Summit in Madrid in June 2022.
Specifically, Spain will lead one of the eight multinational Battlegroups deployed at NATO’s Eastern Flank, with the capability to transform into a multinational combat brigade in less than 10 days. This Spanish contingent began its deployment to Lešť in Slovakia at the beginning of the year, and will take over the role of framework nation for the Battlegroup, presently led by the Czech Republic, as of 01 July 2024.
Complementing this capability, Spain is also going to assume the leading role for NATO in the Hungary/Slovakia area on the corps level in form of the Spanish Rapid Deployment Corps (ESP NRDC), under the command of HQ JFC Brunssum. To this end, a forward element of the ESP NRDC HQ is already deployed in the area to monitor the situation on the ground, as well as to liaise with the host countries and military units in the region.
Gen Miglietta emphasised: “Spain is a responsible friend and ally, committed to NATO's defence objectives. This deployment of forces to support and reinforce NATO's presence on the Alliance’ Eastern Flank demonstrates the firm commitment of Spain and its Armed Forces to her Allies and Spain's determined contribution to NATO's deterrence efforts in Eastern Europe.”
This commitment is also visible for many years already in form of Spain’s contribution to NATO’s multinational Battlegroup in Latvia and the periodical deployment of Spanish fighter jets to air bases in Estonia and Lithuania in the frame of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing (BAP).
Finally, Spain also regularly deploys naval forces to the different Standing NATO Maritime and Mine Countermeasures Groups (SNMG and SNMCMG) in the waters of the North and the Baltic Sea, like e.g. with this year’s participating of a Spanish Aircraft Carrier Strike Group in exercise BALTOPS 24.
The visit of the Spanish Chief of Defence to JFC Brunssum was also a significant event for the Chief of Staff (COS) of the Headquarters, Lieutenant General Jean-Pierre Perrin of the French Army. In recognition of his achievements in his previous position as Chief of Staff of the EUROCORPS in Strasbourg, he was awarded a Spanish military medal, the ‘Cross of Military Merit with White Decoration’ (Cruz del Mérito Militar con distintivo blanco) by the King of Spain. Adm López Calderón used the opportunity of his visit to Brunssum to bestow the medal to Lt Gen Perrin at an award ceremony held at the HQ.
For a related Spanish language article on the website of the Spanish Armed Forces Defence Staff see this link: