Dr. Arnoldus M. van den Hurk

Security in the 21st century is being fought on an invisible battlefield, where control of critical minerals, like hydrocarbons, sits at the axis of global geopolitics beneath the iceberg of a mirage of green climate change. This article argues that Spain and Europe’s mineral dependence is no longer a latent economic risk but has become an active strategic vulnerability that directly threatens the operational capacity of their Armed Forces and the resilience of their Defense Industrial and Technological Base (BITD).

By analyzing the Spanish doctrinal framework, the nature of mineral coercion as a hybrid warfare tactic, and the forceful response of its main allies, the article establishes the unavoidable need to recalibrate the national strategy. It presents the TESIS (Strategic Territory for Security, Industry, and Supplies) conceptual framework as the doctrine that provides Spain with a shield of mineral sovereignty. TESIS proposes a roadmap that moves from coordinated management by the National Security Council, articulated through a new model of governance and instruments of power, such as the creation of a National Strategic Reserve and a Mineral Intelligence system.