The Expeditionary Strike Group ‘Despliegue Atlántico 26’ shows its capabilities in FLEETEX250.

Five Spanish ships and the landing force, with some 2,500 military personnel, have participated in the multinational exercise organized by the US Navy on the east coast of the United.

The Spanish Armed Forces, through the Expeditionary Strike Group ‘Despliegue Atlántico 26’, have successfully completed their participation in the multinational exercise FLEETEX-250 off the east coast of the United States. This large-scale military exercise brought together naval forces from 17 countries.

The training exercise was led by the U.S. Navy's Second Fleet, structuring the deployment into seven naval Task Groups. Spain achieved a significant international milestone by being the only allied nation to assume direct command of one of these groups, under the direction of the Commander of the High Readiness Maritime Headquarters (CGMAD in its Spanish initials) and the Spanish Maritime Forces Headquarters (SPMARFOR). The remaining six groups were led by the United States (five) and NATO (one). This Spanish-commanded force comprised more than 3,000 military personnel from 14 different nations.

Over the course of two weeks, the Spanish military personnel, integrated into five warships and a landing force, strengthened interoperability, validated tactical procedures, and improved joint operations capabilities in a demanding, multi-domain environment alongside the other participating nations.

Exercise FLEETEX-250 was conducted in several phases, beginning on June 16 with training and institutional activities. This was followed by four days of at-sea training focused on integrating combat-oriented forces, culminating in three days of simulation of a high-intensity, multi-domain scenario, which concluded on June 28.

The Spanish amphibious naval force demonstrated its capabilities during the FLEETEX-250 training activities, held as part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

The exercise included the landing and re-embarkation of a group of Marines, different land and combat drills during a simulated crossing of a strait in the midst of a conflict, flight operations involving a wide array of aircraft, and mass casualty simulations for medical training (MEDEVAC). Spanish crews also successfully completed advanced training in anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, amphibious, and surface warfare. All of this took place in a highly demanding tactical environment designed to test the cohesion and swiftness of response of multinational forces against contemporary threats.

The Spanish Expeditionary Strike Group attended this international event with its main projection assets: the LHD ‘Juan Carlos I’, the LPD ‘Castilla’, the F-100 frigate ‘Blas de Lezo’, the F-80 ‘Reina Sofía’, and the AOR ship ‘Patiño’. The deployment was completed with a Reinforced Landing Group (ARD) from the Marine Corps, tactical vehicles, and amphibious craft.

The successful participation in FLEETEX-250 reaffirms Spain's commitment to global maritime security and allied collective defense. It also consolidates the Armada's capability to generate, deploy, and maintain a top-tier expeditionary force, fully prepared to operate effectively and with leadership in any strategic scenario.