Steadfast Dart 25, a joint training between special forces from Spain and Bulgaria

From 10 to 21 February, NATO is conducting its largest military exercise of the year, called Steadfast Dart 25.

A large deployment of Spanish special operations units in Bulgaria
EZAPAC: the green berets of the Spanish Air Force exhibit their means

In this exercise, the Spanish Joint Special Operations Command (MCOE) leads NATO's Special Operations Component (SOCC). Of the 3,200 soldiers that Spain deploys in this exercise, 370 belong to that Special Operations Component. A few days ago we saw the deployment phase of this exercise here. Below these lines we can see some of the Spanish operators participating in this exercise.

The Spanish Defense Staff (EMAD) has indicated today that in these maneuvers, Spanish and Bulgarian special units "have carried out a high-intensity tactical exercise", in which "the assault team simultaneously carried out several joint and combined actions at an advanced level, demonstrating their cohesion and the interoperability of techniques and means of both units. In this sense, the Spanish command highlighted the importance of these training sessions between allies to achieve operational excellence through constant preparation and demanding and realistic training."

Special Forces, Special Skills. 💪🎯

💥They drop in unseen.
💥They clear threats in seconds.
💥They hit every target with precision.

🇪🇸 Spanish SOF put their skills to the test in intense combat drills, ensuring NATO’s rapid response remains unmatched. @NATO_SOF @NRDCITA… pic.twitter.com/TJOD9K3aB3

— NATO JFC Naples (@JFC_Naples) February 13, 2025

The Allied Joint Command Naples has published this video of the exercise today, in which we see one of the two NH-90 Lobo helicopters of the 48th Wing of the Spanish Air Force that have been deployed in Bulgaria for these maneuvers, as well as an AS-532 Cougar helicopter of the Bulgarian Air Force. Among the operators from both countries that appear in the video, we can distinguish members of the Special Naval Warfare Force (FGNE) of the Spanish Navy.

#SteadfastDart25 👉 Специалните сили на 🇧🇬 и 🇪🇸 тренират бързата си реакция.
Действайки под командването на НАТО #ARF, военнослужещите повишават бойната си готовност и оперативната съвместимост в динамични и високоинтензивни сценарии.@SHAPE_NATO @JFC_Naples @NATO_SOF @EMADmde pic.twitter.com/jpQH6gBAUp

— MoD Bulgaria (@BulgariaMod) February 12, 2025

Yesterday, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense published this NATO video in which we see images of this same exercise, with the two NH-90s of the 48th Wing and two EINSA Netón light special operations vehicles (VLOE) of the Special Operations Command (MOE) of the Spanish Army. Neither the Bulgarian nor the Spanish official sources have identified the special units of both countries that are participating in this exercise. Below these lines we can see a VAMTAC ST-5 VMOE of the Special Operations Group "Tercio del Ampurdán" IV (GOE IV) of the MOE, an image released by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense.

The main special operations unit of the Bulgarian Armed Forces is the 68th Special Forces Brigade, based in Plovdiv and formerly attached to the Ground Forces until 2017, when all military special units in the country were grouped as an independent branch of the Armed Forces under the umbrella of the Joint Special Operations Command (CSSO). In addition, I also thought I saw operators from the 63rd Naval Special Forces Reconnaissance Detachment during this exercise.

As for Spain, in addition to the two NH-90 Lobos, the Air Force has deployed an A400M Atlas transport aircraft from the 31st Wing, which has flown from Bezmer (Bulgaria) to Nea Anchialos (Greece) to transport a section of the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) to reinforce the Protection Force and the Combined Air Terminal Operations.

You can see more photos from various official sources about this exercise here (I indicate the sources at the end of this article). You can see the enlarged photos by clicking on them.

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Fotos: Estado Mayor de la Defensa / MoD Bulgaria / NATO JFC Naples / NATO Allied SOF Command (SOFCOM).