Spain's Legion Leads NATO Exercise in Slovakia as Spain Takes NATO Atlantic Naval Command

The Spanish Legion’s Brigade Rey Alfonso XIII, with nearly 2,000 troops and 500 vehicles, has been the lead unit in the NATO exercise “Strong Lineage 26” conducted in the Lest training area in Slovakia and Croft in Hungary. The deployment, part of the Multinational Battle Group SVK, aims to reinforce alliance cohesion on the eastern flank amid the ongoing Ukraine‑Russia conflict.

In parallel, Spain has been appointed to command NATO’s North Atlantic maritime force. Vice Admiral Juan Bautista Pérez Puig will lead a multinational naval group of about 3,000 personnel, including five Spanish warships and the Reinforced Marine Infantry Landing Group. The force will conduct surveillance and deterrence operations between the U.S. east coast and European waters, underscoring Spain’s expanding role in NATO’s collective defence.