The Special Operations Command (Spanish : Mando de Operaciones Especiales) is the command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Groups of the Spanish Army.
It is based in Alicante, Alférez Rojas Navarrete barracks.
It was created in 1997, following other NATO armies organization. In the 1980s the Spanish Army had created six Special Operation Groups and also had a Special Operations group in the Spanish Legion, the Bandera de Operaciones Especiales de la Legión.
Subordinate operating units are Grupos de Operaciones Especiales Valencia III, Tercio del Ampurdán IV, and Bandera de Operaciones Especiales "C. L. Maderal Oleaga" XIX de la Legión.
The three Special Operations Groups are subordinated:
Insignia | Group |
---|---|
3rd Special Operations Group "Valencia" (Grupo de Operaciones Especiales "Valencia" III) | |
4th Special Operations Group "Tercio del Ampurdán" (Grupo de Operaciones Especiales "Tercio del Ampurdán" IV) | |
19th Special Operations Group "Maderal Oleaga" (Grupo de Operaciones Especiales "Maderal Oleaga" XIX) [1] | |
There are two Special Operations Command auxiliary units:
Insignia | Unit |
---|---|
Special Operations Command Headquarters Group (Grupo del Cuartel General del Cuartel General de Operaciones Especiales) | |
Special Operations Command Signals Company (Compañía de Transmisiones del Mando de Operaciones Especiales) [2] | |
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, the most famous being the discovery of America and the first global circumnavigation by Elcano. For several centuries, it played a crucial logistical role in the expansion and consolidation of the Spanish Empire, and defended a vast trade network across the Atlantic Ocean between the Americas and Europe, and the Manila Galleon across the Pacific Ocean between the Philippines and the Americas.
The Grupo Especial de Operaciones, is the police tactical unit of Spain's National Police Corps. The GEO has response capabilities and is responsible for VIP protection duties, as well as countering and responding to terrorism. Organized along the lines of many other police tactical units throughout Europe, the GEOs is focused on dealing with terrorist attacks, including aircraft hijackings as well as maritime threats and hostage taking. The GEO can also be used in a support role for Spanish Police operations outside the realm of terrorism, and is active in protecting visiting heads of state and providing security for high-profile events such as the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. The GEO is a member of the ATLAS Network, that includes all the national police tactical units of European Union countries and some countries outside the European Union.
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Special Operations Group may refer to:
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In Mexico, both the army and navy have special forces groups or elite units.
The Special Operations Groups are the special operations forces of the Spanish Army.
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The structure of the Spanish Army as of April 2021 is as follows:
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