Spanish Armed Forces

The Spanish Armed Forces are in charge of guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Spain and defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order, according to the functions the Constitution of 1978 entrusts to them. 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. The infobox dates the force to 20 January 1479. Spain joined NATO in 1982 and occupies a prominent position in its structure, though it spends less than the 2 percent of GDP on defence that NATO recommends. Spain has the oldest Marine Infantry in the world and the oldest permanent military units in the world, the Infantry Regiment Inmemorial del Rey No. 1 and the Infantry Regiment Soria No. 9.