A terrorist attack exercise by the American Military Police at the Spanish base of Rota

The shift in US foreign policy has created some uncertainty about American military bases in Europe.

The vehicles of the US Military Police guarding the Spanish naval base in Rota
This is how the US military honors its flag in Rota in its only annual hoist

One of the main European military bases with a presence of the United States Armed Forces is the Rota Naval Station in Spain. This joint base was created under the 1953 Madrid Pact between Spain and the United States. The base is monitored jointly by the Spanish Navy's Naval Police and the U.S. Navy's Military Police.

Despite the political controversies of recent months, US military personnel serving at this base (one of the most sought-after destinations in the US Navy, due to Spain's good quality of life and excellent climate) continue with their daily activities, including their security training, as was evident two weeks ago.

On March 13, US Navy Military Police conducted a simulated terrorist attack in Rota, using the vehicles assigned to them for their operations at this base. The US Navy released photos of the exercise that same day. It should be noted that the published images do not show any members or vehicles of the Spanish Naval Police.

The U.S. Navy defined this exercise as a "Final Evaluation Problem, an antiterrorism assessment to ensure NAVSTA Rota can properly defend itslef from internal and external threats."

In the photo caption, the US Navy explained the importance of this base to the US Armed Forces: "As the "Gateway to the Mediterranean," NAVSTA Rota provides U.S., NATO and allied forces a strategic hub for operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. NAVSTA Rota is a force multiplier, capable of promptly deploying and supporting combat-ready forces through land, air and sea, enabling warfighters and their families, sustaining the fleet and fostering the U.S. and Spanish partnership."

In the images released by the US Navy, we see the new 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser all-terrain vehicles of the US Military Police in Rota. As you may recall, prior to these vehicles the US Military Police in Rota used Ford Focus vehicles.

As an interesting fact, the American Military Police in Rota have license plates similar to the Spanish ones but with their own code, so their vehicles can circulate within the base, but not outside it. All the vehicles shown in the photos, including the white Ford Mondeo used to simulate a hostile vehicle, have these base-specific license plates.

As an additional note, the uniforms worn by these American MPs are NWU Type III with AOR2 camouflage, which are standard US Navy uniforms.