Milex 2026
8 June 2026
Zaragoza, Spain. Under the Spanish sun, with temperatures recently reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius, soldiers from across Eurocorps are supporting one of the European Union´s most important military exercises of the year. What only days ago was open terrain has become a fully operational headquarters supporting MILEX26.
At the centre of the activity is Lieutenant Steffen, Officer of the Eurocorps. One moment he is coordinating with a platoon leader, the next he is checking progress across the headquarters area or discussing requirements with communications specialists. Around him, soldiers from several nations are working towards a common goal: building and operating the heart of the exercise.
Having joined Eurocorps lately, Lieutenant Steffen quickly found himself facing his first major multinational challenge. For Lieutenant Steffen and his soldiers, MILEX26 began weeks ago in Strasbourg. On 22 May 2026 – exactly 34 years after the founding of Eurocorps – the light convoy started their deployment to Spain. Personnel, vehicles, communications equipment and operational materiel moved south by road and rail in close cooperation with the Command Post Company, the Transport Company, the Communications and Information Systems Company, and multinational partners.
One particular challenge was the track changes in rail traffic between France and Spain. Thanks to detailed planning and close cooperation, the movement was completed successfully, allowing the first Eurocorps elements to arrive in Zaragoza already a few days later.
Their next challenge was to transform an empty area of the training ground into a fully operational headquarters infrastructure capable of supporting multinational operations.
“We were building the heart of the exercise,” says Lieutenant Steffen.
From the placement of containers to the setup of workspaces and communications systems, every decision mattered. Piece by piece, the headquarters took shape.
Today, the headquarters infrastructure is fully operational.
“It is a globally deployable small town,” Lieutenant Steffen says. “What people see on the outside is only a fraction of the effort required to make it work.”
For the first time in his career, he is working in a multinational environment. Within his unit, French, Spanish, Polish and German soldiers work side by side every day.
Throughout his military career, Lieutenant Steffen has learned that successful leadership starts with people. For him, empathy is essential, especially in a multinational environment.
“Leadership means understanding people and their strengths. In the end, it is the soldiers who make the mission successful. Intercultural competence is something you develop through such shared experiences.”
As MILEX26 continues, Lieutenant Steffen is already looking ahead to prepare redeployment, the evaluation of the exercise and future deployment activities. Yet his message is already clear:
“What we have built here proves that we can deploy rapidly, work together effectively, and remain ready as a multinational team. That builds confidence in our capabilities, our procedures, and most importantly, in our people.”
As Eurocorps marked its 34th anniversary on 22 May, the headquarters celebrated not with a ceremony, but with action. The deployment to MILEX26 and the multinational cooperation demonstrated in Spain reflect exactly the purpose for which Eurocorps was established more than three decades ago: bringing European nations together to plan, deploy, and operate as one force. At a time when the European Union is strengthening its Rapid Deployment Capacity under the Strategic Compass, MILEX26 provides a realistic opportunity to validate readiness, interoperability, and collective response capabilities.
Perhaps the most fitting birthday gift Eurocorps could give itself was the chance to demonstrate that multinational cooperation is not only a vision, but a proven capability in support of European security.
