The Headquarters of the ‘Castillejos’ Division, based at the ‘Sancho Ramírez’ military barracks in Huesca, is preparing to assume command of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force Land Component in 2027. The unit will coordinate multinational forces designed to deploy within a maximum of 10 days and lead land operations wherever required by the Alliance.
Spain will assume this rotating leadership role for the first time, alongside the United Kingdom, Italy and France. Since January 2025, the headquarters has been undergoing a NATO evaluation process, which will conclude in December with the ‘Steadfast Dagger’ 26 exercise in Stavanger, Norway.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles visited the Huesca headquarters on October 5, accompanied by Army Chief of Staff Amador Enseñat. During the visit, Robles placed the ‘Castillejos’ Division’s preparations within NATO’s new force model and highlighted Spain’s contribution to Alliance missions.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the Allied Reaction Force is designed as a strategic capability with multidomain capacity to carry out different types of missions. From Huesca, command and control of its land component will be exercised during Spain’s assigned period.
