The Spanish Armed Forces are in charge of guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Spain, defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order, according to the functions entrusted to them by the Constitution of 1978. They are composed of: the Army, the Air and Space Force, the Navy, the Royal Guard, and the Military Emergencies Unit, as well as the so-called Common Corps.
Spain occupies a prominent position in the structure of NATO, which it joined in 1982. Yet, it spends significantly less than 2% of GDP on defence, as advised by NATO. This puts it among the countries with the lowest spending within NATO.