Tarragona applicants seek entry into Spanish Armed Forces

A total of 101 residents of the Tarragona province have applied for the 2026 recruitment cycles to join the Spanish Armed Forces as troop and navy personnel, according to the Ministry of Defence. The cohort includes 90 men and 11 women. In the second recruitment cycle, which is currently underway, 48 candidates (43 men and five women) have registered.

Nationally, the 2026 public employment offer of the Defence Ministry provides 9,050 positions for troop and navy enlistment, plus 2,944 places for officer and non‑commissioned officer training schools. Of the troop and navy staff, 1,261 internal‑promotion slots are reserved for advancement to non‑commissioned ranks and 120 for officer ranks. The second‑cycle exams began in June, covering 4,523 vacancies across the Army (3,200), Navy (693) and Air and Space Force (630). Fifty of the slots have a specific quota for high‑performance athletes. A key change for 2026 is the simplification and unification of the physical tests. All candidates must now complete four exercises: arm flex‑extensions, an isometric plank, a 2,000‑metre run and an agility‑speed circuit. The Defence Ministry says the new format aims to standardise physical requirements throughout military careers and align them with service demands.