Exercise ‘Lisa Azul 2024’ has brought together forces from the US, Spain and Italy in the Gulf of Cádiz to enhance interoperability through joint manoeuvers and tactical drills.
From 16 to 27 of September, the exercise ‘Lisa Azul 24’ took place in the geographical area of the Bay of Cadiz. It was a training exercise within the framework of bilateral relations between the United States and Spain. The ‘Lisa Azul’ exercise is an annual event and its purpose is to increase the interoperability and integration of small units up to company level.
This exercise regularly involves units from other allied countries, this year with an Italian Navy component. The participating units of this edition have been the Sixth Company of the Second Battalion of the Spanish Marine Corps’ Brigade ‘Tercio de Armada’, a Company platoon of the ‘Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Europe’ (FASTEUR) of the US Marine Corps, and a rifle platoon from the ‘Brigata Marina San Marco’ of the Italian Navy.
The exercise was conducted in two phases. The first phase took place at the ‘Sierra del Retín’ training range and the second one in Rota Naval Base. These units have had the opportunity to share and practice tactical techniques and procedures in various areas such as small unit operational planning, light infantry tactics, combat patrols, rifle-pistol combat shooting, combat in built-up areas, treatment of casualties in combat, close combat and the use of different craft. In addition, the units have increased their cohesion through competitive tests such as the ‘FASTEUR Challenge’, which is a race-based endurance test that integrates other Marine skills such as combat swimming, an obstacle course, the assembly and dismantling of weapons, the practice of tactical care of casualties in combat and close combat, etc.
The similarity of procedures and values, as well as the excellent willingness of all participants to integrate, have made it possible to achieve a high degree of interoperability in this short period of combined training.