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55-536: Spain is one of the most militarily powerful nations of the European Union ( EUFOR ) and Eurocorps . It also occupies a prominent position in the structure of NATO , which it joined in 1982. It also has the oldest Marine Infantry in the world and the oldest permanent military units in the world: the Infantry Regiment "Inmemorial del Rey" No. 1 and the Infantry Regiment "Soria" No. 9 . After

110-695: A Boeing 707 of supplies transport of the Air and Space Force . The cost of these missions abroad amounts to approximately 800 million euros per year. The commander in chief of the Armed Forces is the King of Spain ; with the ex officio rank of Capitán General in the Army, Navy and Air and Space Force. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 states in article 62(h) that the King of Spain shall have "supreme command of

165-641: A dhow off the east coast of Africa. HMS  Somerset seized 60 kg (130 lb) of heroin from a dhow in the northern Arabian Sea in May 2014. Then in July 2014 HMAS Darwin intercepted a further 6,248 kg (13,774 lb) of hashish on a dhow in the Indian Ocean. HMS  Defender , a Type 45 Royal Navy destroyer, seized over a ton of hashish from a dhow off Oman in June 2016. In late April 2017,

220-753: A few examples. Spain participated along with France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, the United States and Canada in the 2011 intervention against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, contributing a tanker , 4 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, a frigate , a submarine and a surveillance aircraft , along with logistical support from the Naval Station Rota and the Morón Air Base . Spain has belonged to NATO since 1982. The decision

275-494: A flag, attempted evasive action, so Navarra after firing four warning shots into the water at the bow of the ship and rifle fire on the ship's hull, getting no answer, fired on a cable crossing So San from bow to stern to remove obstacles and proceeded to approach it from a helicopter. The ship from North Korea was carrying a cargo of 15 Scud missiles, 15 conventional warheads with 250 kg of high explosive, 23 fuel tanks of nitric acid and 85 drums of chemicals. The freighter

330-467: A prefix depending on the nature of the mission, which is either military or civilian. Civilian missions: Military operations: The operations are named as if the multinational force conducting it is established specifically for the unique operation, which is often the case. The force may however also consist of permanent multinational forces such as the European Corps . Related topics of

385-582: A professional force with a strength in 2017 of 121,900 active personnel and 4,770 reserve personnel. The country also has the 77,000 strong Civil Guard which comes under the control of the Ministry of defense in times of a national emergency. The Spanish defense budget is 5.71 billion euros (US$ 7.2 billion) a 1% increase for 2015. The increase comes because of security concerns in the country. The Spanish Army consists of 15 active brigades and 6 military regions. Modern infantry have diverse capabilities and this

440-553: A series of important reforms in the armed forces and the economy, notably those of Charles III of Spain. Thanks to these reforms, Spain performed well during the war of Jenkins' Ear defending overseas territory, won the war of Austrian Succession but had mixed result during the Seven Years' War. Spain had also led successful campaigns in the American Revolutionary War . Spain had recovered considerably by

495-405: A support regiment ( Regimiento de Apoyo a Emergencias ) and an aerial group ( Agrupación de Medios Aéreos ). It is responsible for providing disaster relief principally throughout Spain but also if necessary abroad. The activities including handling natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes, forest fires, chemical and nuclear accidents, and other emergency situations recognized as such by

550-648: A total of 13% being the first empire which the Sun never sets. By the mid 17th century Spain had been militarily weakened by the Thirty Years War , the Eighty Years War along with financial problems, and the lack of reforms, though still holding firm to the bulk of the American Continent . During the 18th century the new Bourbon dynasty revived Spain's economic and military power through

605-690: A tug; Task Group 150.3 with seven ships including two LSTs was the Pinetree Group, seemingly resupplying Pinetree Line radar stations; Task Group 150.4 was made up of four icebreakers; and Task Group 150.5 was the Cape Christian Group. (American Polar Operations, Data Sheet No. 26, p.4.) After arrival in-theatre in late 1991, Vice Admiral Henry H. Mauz "retained the Middle East Force , designated CTG 150.1 [Commander Task Group 150.1], for most warfighting functions inside

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660-732: Is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 34-nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the " War on Terror " and in the Horn of Africa region (HOA) includes operations in the North Arabia Sea to support operations in the Indian Ocean. These activities are referred to as Maritime Security Operations (MSO). Countries presently contributing to CTF-150 include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Pakistan, Japan, Germany,

715-671: Is an independent unit of the Spanish Armed Forces whose primary task is the military protection of the King of Spain and the Spanish royal family . It also protects visiting Heads of State. The Royal Guard's history dates back to medieval times , the Corps of Gentlemen of the Chamber, the " Monteros de Espinosa ", dating to 1006. It currently has a strength of 1,900 troops, constituting a fully functional combat unit drawn from

770-768: Is directed by political bodies composed of member states ' representatives, and generally requires unanimous decisions. As of April 2019: In the EU terminology, civilian CSDP interventions are called 'missions', regardless of whether they have an executive mandate such as EULEX Kosovo or a non-executive mandate (all others). Military interventions, however, can either have an executive mandate such as for example Operation Atalanta in which case they are referred to as 'operations' and are commanded at two-star level; or non-executive mandate (e.g. EUTM Somalia ) in which case they are called 'missions' and are commanded at one-star level. Prefixes All CSDP missions and operations are given

825-702: Is reflected in the varied roles assigned to them. There are four operational roles that infantry battalions can fulfil: air assault, armoured infantry, mechanised infantry, and light role infantry. Under the command of the Spanish Admiral Chief of Naval Staff , stationed in Madrid , the Spanish Navy has four area commands: The current flagship of the Spanish Navy is the amphibious assault ship /aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I . In addition,

880-798: The Arleigh Burke -class destroyer USS  Ramage and the Ticonderoga -class cruiser USS  Bunker Hill . Commodore Bruce Williams of the Royal Navy led the task force at this time. March 2014 saw HMAS  Arunta seize 800 kg (1,800 lb) of hashish , USS Truxtun (DDG 103) seize over 200 large firearms and 600 kg (1,300 lb) of hashish , and USS  Laboon intercept 270 kg (600 lb) and then 500 kg (1,100 lb) of hashish. April 2014 saw HMAS  Darwin , an Adelaide -class frigate, intercept 1,032 kg (2,275 lb) of heroin from

935-749: The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 33-nation coalition operating from the US Navy base in Manama, Bahrain . In the last half of 1953 the designation Task Force 150 was given to a U.S. Navy force involved in Operation SUNEC - Support to North Eastern Command - resupplying of Arctic radar and weather stations. The main task was to resupply Thule , Greenland . Task Group 150.1 with its flag on USS  Ashland  (LSD-1) had six ships, including two Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) and

990-641: The Common Security and Defence Policy : Operations and exercises of the precursors of the Common Security and Defence Policy Operations and exercises of the multinational forces made available to the CSDP in accordance with article 42.3 of the Treaty on European Union : Missions and exercises of other organisations: Combined Task Force 150 Combined Task Force 150 ( CTF-150 )

1045-848: The EU delegations , until 2009 known as the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The decision to deploy – together with any subsequent management of – the mission or operation in question, will ultimately be taken by the EU member states in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). Military operations may be launched after four planning phases, through which the Operation Commander (Op. Cdr.), Military Staff (EUMS), Military Committee (EUMC), Political and Security Committee (PSC) and Council have different roles. The EU command and control (C2) structure

1100-740: The Second World War ( non-belligerent ), although they did intervene in the Spanish Civil War and in some colonial conflicts. After the arrival of democracy in 1978, they underwent a strong modernization process, becoming modern armed forces. In 1982 Spain entered NATO . Recently, in the last decades of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st, Spanish troops have participated together with their Western allies in operations such as Gulf War , NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , KFOR , War on terror , 2011 military intervention in Libya , Combined Task Force 150 or UNIFIL , to name

1155-654: The Somali Civil War continued to escalate. During this time, the task force conducted normal operations in the Indian Ocean. By early 2007 it became actively involved in providing a maritime cordon to prevent the escape of members of Al Qaeda suspected of being embedded within the ranks of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). Open warfare broke out between Ethiopian and the ICU forces on 20 December 2006, but until 2 January 2007 there had been no request by

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1210-832: The Airbus A400M Atlas airlifter. Both are manufactured with Spanish participation; EADS CASA makes the Eurofighter's right wing and leading edge slats, and participates in the testing and assembly of the airlifter. Its aerobatic display team is the Patrulla Aguila, which flies the CASA C-101 Aviojet.Its helicopter display team, Patrulla Aspa, flies the Eurocopter EC-120 Colibrí. In July 2014 the Spanish Air Force joined

1265-578: The Armed Forces"; however under article 64, all official acts of the King must be countersigned by the President of the Government (or other competent minister) to become valid. The President of the Government (also known as Prime Minister in English translations), as the head of government , is responsible under article 97 for "domestic and foreign policy, civil and military administration and

1320-824: The Aztec Empire , the conquest of the Inca Empire and the conquest of the Philippines ensued propelling Spain to the foremost military superpower of the time. Spain was also victorious over the French in the Italian Wars , annexing southern Italy. During the reign of Charles V and Philip II, Spain reached the peak of its power with the Spanish Empire spanning 19.4 million square km of the Earth's surface,

1375-854: The Cortes Generales before sending the armed forces abroad. The Chief of the Defense Staff directs the Defense Staff and is the senior military advisor to the Minister and the Government. The military leadership of the three military services are: the Chief of Staff of the Army , the Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force and the Chief of Staff of the Navy . The structure, and incumbents as of 2021, are: The Spanish armed forces are

1430-899: The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Spain also participated in the Iraq War between 2003 and 2004, in Gabon and in Senegal to safeguard maritime traffic in the Horn of Africa (with 33 Civil Guards and national police officers, two patrol vessels and a helicopter). In 2015, 46 UME soldiers and 12 Civil Guards of the High Mountain Group went to help and rescue in the Nepal earthquake , along with six dogs, three scientific police and

1485-762: The Dutch frigate HNLMS  Evertsen deployed to the waters of the Horn of Africa, as part of CTF-150, and in response to a request from the United Nations World Food Programme , against piracy off the Somali coast. The CTF-150 established the Maritime Security Patrol Area on 22 August 2008, through a narrow corridor within the Gulf of Aden aimed at deterring attack and hijacking of ships seeking safe passage through

1540-470: The Ethiopian or Somali military for CTF-150 to take action. On that day, the aim of the patrols shifted to "...stop SICC leaders or foreign militant supporters escaping". On 4 January 2008 ships of the task force began performing Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) missions, boarding fishing boats ( dhows ) and oil tankers passing near the Somali coast. US ships of Combined Task Force 150 included

1595-608: The European Air Transport Command, headquartered at Eindhoven Airbase in the Netherlands. The Common Corps are four corps that provide professional services to all the branches of the Armed Forces and the Civil Guard. The Common Corps were created in the 1980s to unify the specialist corps of the different branches for operational reasons. The Common Corps are: The Royal Guard ( Guardia Real )

1650-457: The Gulf of Aden [in] September ['08] as part of an international effort to curb piracy." part of Combined Task Force 150. Under the leadership of officers aboard Absalon," "Task Force 150 divided the [waters] into 12 patrol "boxes", [each] of which was responsible for defending shipping in its designated area." Source: https://tvd.im/naval-warfare/3368-hdms-absalon-l16.html Throughout 2006,

1705-426: The National Security Department of Spain (DSN), these are the current missions of the armed forces and civil guard: The Spanish Armed Forces also participated in the last few years in other missions, above all humanitarian and observation: in Albania in 1999, Mozambique in 2000, Republic of Macedonia in 2001, Haiti in 2004 and Indonesia in 2005. In 2006, Spain participated in Darfur , Sudan by sending observers, and in

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1760-435: The North Arabian Sea and Red Sea were designated Task Groups 150.4 and 150.5 respectively; the Amphibious and Landing Forces were CTG 150.6 and CTG 150.8 (Major General Jenkins). Rear Admiral Stephen S. Clarey was Commander U.S. Maritime Prepositioning Force , Commander Task Group 150.7 (CTG 150.7), with the equipment for the U.S. Marine Corps aboard. After the ships had disembarked the Marine equipment in Saudi Arabia, CTG 150.7

1815-482: The Persian Gulf. Under this hat, Rear Admiral [William M. "Bill"] Fogarty would control only the half-dozen ships or so of the Middle East Force, augmented by the battleship Wisconsin when it arrived. Under a second hat, CTG 150.2, Fogarty would be the commander of the U.S. Maritime Interception Force. For this job, his authority would extend outside the Persian Gulf to ships operating in the North Arabian Sea and Red Sea, but only for interception operations." The CVBGs in

1870-467: The Prime Minister of Spain. Official website Military operations of the European Union The European Union (EU) has undertaken a number of overseas missions and operations, drawing on civilian and military capabilities, in several countries across three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia), as part of its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The operation or mission in question will work in agreement and coordination with

1925-431: The Spanish military was in poor condition and political instability resulted in the loss of most of Spain's former colonies, who had rebelled against Spanish rule in the Spanish American wars of independence , except Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. These too would be lost later in the Spanish–American War . In the 20th century, the Spanish armed forces did not intervene in the First World War ( neutrality ) or in

1980-521: The U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS  Roosevelt responded. However, the pirates had already hijacked the vessel and reached Somali territorial waters after threatening the captured crew members. On 24 April 2006, RAdm. Shahid Iqbal of Pakistan Navy relieved Dutch Commodore Hank Ort and assumed command of the Force. On 22 August 2006, RAdm. Iqbal was relieved by German Rear Admiral Heinrich Lange. In December 2006, Lange passed control to Royal Navy Commodore Bruce Williams. In March 2007,

2035-399: The United Kingdom and the United States. Other nations who have participated include Italy, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Turkey. The command of the task force rotates among the different participating navies, with commands usually lasting between four and six months. The task force usually comprises 14 or 15 ships. CTF-150 is coordinated by

2090-426: The country. The Air and Space Force operates a wide-ranging fleet of aircraft, from fighters to transport aircraft and passenger transports to helicopters. It maintains some 450 aircraft in total, of which around 130 are fighter aircraft (Eurofighter Typhoons and F-18 MLU). The Spanish Air and Space Force is replacing older aircraft in the inventory with newer ones including the recently introduced Eurofighter Typhoon and

2145-424: The defense of the State", and thus bears the ultimate responsibility before the Cortes Generales , and the Spanish electorate. The Minister of defense is in charge of running the Ministry of defense , which carries out the day-to-day administration of the forces. The President of the Government and the Minister of defense are civilians . No provision in the Constitution requires the Government to seek approval from

2200-412: The fleet consists of: 2 amphibious transport docks , 11 frigates , 3 submarines , 6 mine countermeasure vessels, 23 patrol vessels and a number of auxiliary ships. The total displacement of the Spanish Navy is approximately 220,000 tonnes. As of 2012, the Armada has a strength of 20,838 personnel. The Marines, in Spanish, Infanteria de Marina , are the marine infantry of the Spanish Navy, the oldest in

2255-406: The leadership of the Task Force, supported by five nations, was to be handed over from Captain Frothingham (U.S. Navy) to German Admiral Gottfried Hoch. On 9 December 2002, the Spanish frigate  Navarra intercepted and boarded the freighter So San , several hundred miles southeast of Yemen at the request of the U.S. government as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. So San , sailing without

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2310-412: The long Reconquista ending in 1492, Spain evolved into Europe's foremost power with the voyages of Christopher Columbus the same year, leading to Spain acquiring vast lands in the Americas and conquering a number of overseas civilizations in the decades to come. The period of reconquest of Iberia had ended, and now Spain entered an era of overseas conquest spearheaded by conquistadors . The conquest of

2365-424: The outbreak of the French Revolution, by 1790, the Spanish Empire was the largest empire in the world. The occupation of a great part of Spain by the French during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in Peninsular War , which was characterized by use on a large scale of guerrilla troops, made necessary by the war's devastating effect on the Spanish economy. Although victorious in the Peninsular War over Napoleonic France,

2420-594: The ranks of all three branches of the Spanish Armed Forces: among others, a Marines company, a Paratroop company and an infantry company. Some units have served recently in Afghanistan and Bosnia. The Military Emergencies Unit ( Spanish : Unidad Militar de Emergencias ), is the most recently instituted branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, resulting from a decision of the Council of Ministers of Spain in 2005. In addition to headquarters staff ( Unidad de Cuartel General , there are five emergency intervention battalions ( Batallon de Intervención en Emergencias , BIEM),

2475-444: The region. In the action of 18 March 2006 , two United States Navy ships were attacked by Somali pirates during an opposed boarding. In the ensuing gun battle, all the pirates were either killed or captured. On 4 April 2006, the South Korean fishing vessel MV Dong Won reported it had come under rocket attack off the coast of Somalia. Immediately two ships from the task force, the Dutch frigate HNLMS  De Zeven Provinciën and

2530-402: The time, CTF-150 was commanded by Spanish Rear Admiral Juan Moreno, and comprised ships from France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and United States. In January 2003, the task force held a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise involving the following vessels: On 8 June 2005, CTF-150, under the command of Royal Navy Commodore Tony Rix, successfully conducted the boarding of

2585-465: The time, it comprised ships of Italy, France, Germany, Pakistan, Canada, the United Kingdom and United States. The CTF-150 has been engaged in anti-piracy operations in Somalia in parallel to other independent anti-piracy operations by countries such as China, Iran, India and Russia. On 22 January 2006 USS  Winston S. Churchill captured a suspected pirate vessel in the Indian Ocean as part of an ongoing effort to help maintain law and order in

2640-409: The vessel Safari in international waters, leading to the seizure of 2.3 tons of hashish. The French D'Estienne d'Orves -class frigate Commandant Birot performed the boarding. The captured crew were transferred to the Arleigh Burke -class destroyer USS  O'Kane . On 17 August 2005, French Vice Admiral Jacques Mazars replaced Royal Navy Commodore Tony Rix as commander of CTF-150. At

2695-688: The world. It has a strength of 5,000 troops divided into base defense forces and landing forces. One of the three base defense battalions is stationed with each of the Navy headquarters. "Groups" (midway between battalions and regiments) are stationed in Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The Tercio (fleet — regiment equivalent) is available for immediate embarkation and based out of San Fernando. Its principal weapons include light tanks, armored combat vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and SPIKE antitank missiles. Spanish Air and Space Force currently has 10 fighter squadrons, each with 18-24 airplanes. The Air and Space Force also has 15 operational air bases around

2750-463: The zone. Also in August 2008, the Danish command & support ship HDMS  Absalon deployed to join and lead CTF 150 for a 6-month tour. On 17 September 2008, the Danish ship captured 10 pirates in two small ships. The pirates were in possession of ladders and other implements with which to board ships, as well as rocket launchers, machine pistols, and grenades. After consulting with the Danish Ministry of Justice and other task force members, it

2805-558: Was determined by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the pirates could only be prosecuted in Denmark, partly because the pirates would have faced the death penalty in the nearby states, and Danish law prohibits extraditing criminals when they might face the death penalty. Eventually, the pirates were freed, since the Danish authorities were concerned that it would be difficult to deport them back to Somalia once their sentences were served. The pirates were allowed to keep their ships, though not their weapons. In December 2008, Absalon

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2860-488: Was disestablished on 12 September 1990. From 1 January 1991, Commander Task Force 150 was Vice Admiral Henry H. Mauz, Jr. himself. Before 11 September 2001, Task Force 150 was a U.S. Navy formation serving as part of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command . After 11 September, it became a patrol force in the Horn of Africa region. On 5 May 2002, command of the force was handed over from the United States to Germany. The German Defence Ministry announced in Berlin that day that

2915-438: Was handed over to the United States Navy. Yemen subsequently reported that the cargo belonged to them and protested against the interception, and as international law did not prohibit Yemen from purchasing the missiles the ship was released to proceed to Yemen. On 20 December 2002, a meeting was held aboard USS  Mount Whitney with military leaders from Djibouti regarding the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa . At

2970-453: Was involved in the rescue of putative Somali pirates 90 miles (140 km) off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. The craft from Somalia was reported to hold rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, and to have been adrift for several days. Also per the report, Absalon took the sailors and weapons aboard, sank the craft, and turned the sailors over to the Yemen coast guard. Absalon , according to The New York Times report, "was deployed in

3025-412: Was ratified in the 1986 referendum by the Spanish people. The conditions were the reduction of American military bases, non-integration of Spain in the military structure of NATO, and the prohibition of introducing nuclear weapons in Spain. As of June 2017, 3,093 soldiers of the Spanish Armed Forces and the Civil Guard are part of the nineteen operations where Spain has an active role. According to

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