Enrique Pérez de Tena: "I can't speak for the other European armies, but the Spanish army is prepared for whatever comes."

MadridWith war raging in Europe and the continent threatened from multiple fronts, the governments of the European Union have broken the taboo and are advocating—with varying degrees of intensity—the need to rearm. This new scenario once again puts the spotlight on European militaries and their potential capabilities to confront external aggression. Enrique Pérez de Tena, a retired frigate captain with decades of experience in the Spanish and NATO armed forces, is an advisor on institutional relations for the Joint Cyber ​​Command.

Tuesday marks four years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

— Yes. At first, when it started, everyone said it would be a two-day war, a walk in the park for the Russians, that the Ukrainians had no chance of resisting. Wrong. Then they said it was a trench war, tactically very similar to the First World War. Wrong. It has proven to be the most technologically advanced war that has ever existed, a war that has changed the way wars of the future are fought.

Recently, at a dinner in Strasbourg, several MEPs said that European armies have become obsolete and would not be prepared for a war of this magnitude against Russia.

— If you want to make a frying pan, who do you ask for advice? A plumber or a chef from Valencia? I'm answering your question, right?

So, are European armies prepared?

— I can't speak for the rest of the European armies, nor can I give many more details, but I can say that the Spanish army is prepared to face whatever comes. Look, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a foregone conclusion; it was inevitable, and we in the armed forces were aware of it because intelligence reports repeatedly pointed to Putin's very real intentions.

The use of drones has been a turning point, a major change.

— Regarding the use of drones, we are clearly not yet as advanced as we would like, but this doesn't mean we aren't in a good position to know how to deal with a drone attack, for example. And yes, the drone is now the star weapon of warfare. But just four days ago, nobody was talking about drones, except maybe the child asking the Three Wise Men for one. This often makes us wonder what will be the new weapon that revolutionizes warfare tomorrow.

You emphasize the importance of cyberspace and, therefore, cyber defense.

— It's essential. Look, the day there was the massive blackout in Spain, I was pleased, without meaning to be misunderstood, that many people speculated whether the cause was a cyberattack. A few years ago, the vast majority of the population didn't know what a cyberattack was. I think that, little by little, we are all becoming aware of the new cyber threats that our countries must and will have to face.

But the massive blackout was not a cyberattack.

— No, no, but it could have been. We must be prepared for these kinds of scenarios. Hybrid warfare is a reality. Remember the GPS jamming of Ursula von der Leyen's plane, or that of Minister Margarita Robles. Or recall the drone alerts at European airports that have often caused mass flight cancellations across Europe.

In these cases, Russia is often pointed to, but it has never been officially confirmed.

— I can't say who's behind these attacks. It's clear they could be governments, but they could also be companies or even... hackers individual. And, in fact, it can be very difficult to discover who the real author is. Imagine that tomorrow I, as the government, want to destabilize France and I intend to plunge all of Paris into darkness. I believe that if we, as the Spanish government, or the government of any other country, were to do this, we would eventually be identified, and this would pose a major diplomatic problem for us. For this reason, a government can access the dark web And, for example, hire a company to do it for you. There are many companies that specialize in these services. So if Paris wakes up in darkness the next day, it's almost impossible for them to point the finger at the government, because, given how things are set up... dark webIt is very difficult to obtain traceability of contacts or payments.

The dark web, What exactly is it?

— Where the world's 6 billion users actually go is only 4% of the internet. This is the visible part that, for example, we use to make a purchase on Amazon, follow a route on Google Maps, or read the news. Then there's the other 90%, which is the deep webIt's harder to access, but it's good, it's not dangerous. It's, for example, where banks store their data. And then there's 6%, which is the dark webAnd I assure you that most people are unaware of what can be found. Imagine anything you want and you'll find it: from all kinds of child pornography or contacts for buying a liver, to hackers specialized cybercriminals may attempt to attack a nuclear power plant. Governments and militaries, therefore, are obligated to protect themselves from all threats emanating from the nuclear sector. dark web.

Can you give me an example of the use of cyberspace in Ukraine?

— There are many. Cyberspace is essential to the intelligence gathering of both militaries. Look, in talks, I often use two photographs as an example. In one, you see a field that has been hit by a Russian artillery attack. The field is full of 155mm shell impacts, although none of the shells hit their targets. In the second photo, you see a similar field with only six 15mm shell impacts. In that Ukrainian attack, five of the six targets—Russian combat vehicles—were hit. Why were the Ukrainians more accurate? Because they knew exactly where the Russians were: they jammed the soldiers' cell phones and were able to attack with pinpoint accuracy. They did this thanks to cyberspace.

Now in Europe the prevailing political discourse is that it is necessary to invest more in defense.

— Yes, I agree, and not just because I was a soldier for 46 years. People need to understand that sitting here drinking tonic water and Coke isn't free, given the current global context. The enemies who want to attack European democracies have either increased in number or dropped the mask, and we need to demonstrate that we are prepared to defend ourselves if necessary. Deterrence is key in every respect to guarantee the tranquility, peace, and stability that are the foundations of our societies.

Doesn't investing in defense go against pacifism?

— No. I would say that, precisely to remain pacifists, it is necessary to invest in defense. It is necessary to be a pacifist. Moreover, it is the only way for the military to understand what should exist in a society: in peace. And we know this because, unfortunately, we have experienced war. But I believe that pacifism must also defend peace, the right to live in tranquility. And often, to defend this, it is necessary to use the power of deterrence that I mentioned earlier. This is the message that, I believe, Europe is trying to send to Russia.

You have worked with NATO. What is your view of the organization?

— My personal opinion is that NATO needs to be reformed. It was a great invention as an Atlantic Alliance pact after World War II, but now change is necessary. The United States has shown that it cannot be the conductor of the orchestra, and we Europeans must get our act together and play our own tune so as not to depend on anyone.

Trump also says that Europeans need to get their act together.

— Honestly, I agree with this. Europe must be able to protect itself, without waiting for someone to come and help us. That's my opinion.

And how should it be done?

— A good step would be to create a joint European force, uniting the forces of the various EU militaries. We militaries are tired of interacting with each other and participating in joint exercises. We know this, and the infrastructure to do so is easy to create. But this is a political decision, and I don't know what politicians talk about in their meetings.