Maritime action ship P-44 'Tornado' calls at Tema port in Ghana

• As part of the CMP-GoG Deployment to the West African coast and the Gulf of Guinea, the P-44 'Tornado' has carried out coordinated military cooperation and defence diplomacy activities with the coastal country.

The maritime action ship docked early in the morning in the port of Tema, the second time that this Navy ship has called at this African port. During the port call, the "Tornado" received on board the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, José Javier Gutiérrez Blanco-Navarrete.

Activities carried out in port

The ship has carried out military cooperation activities on board, providing material and highlighting the preparation of the crew, who are specialised in each type of activity.  Training and practice in diving, boarding operations and boat handling have been carried out. The Ghanaian Navy personnel have shown great cooperation and interest, and these activities have been very useful in increasing the capabilities of the coastal states to face the threats existing in the area.

Strengthening Spain's relations with the country

In addition, the ship's presence in the country was an opportunity to meet with numerous local and international military authorities. The stopover began with the final phase of the Joint Naval Exercise EU & India. After the sea phase, part of the crew of each unit and personnel of the MMCC zone F met in the city of Accra to carry out a joint exercise simulating different situations that may arise in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. This event favours international relations, as the solutions to each proposed scenario were coordinated between members of different countries, for a common goal: the surveillance and maritime security of the area. The ship held several receptions, including the presence of the Spanish ambassador to Ghana, the Ghanaian Minister of Defence, the Ghanaian Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Staff of the Ghanaian Navy and numerous local and international authorities such as the commanders of the units participating in the 'Joint Naval Exercise EU & India'. These events reinforce Spain's international ties with the countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea.

Visits

During their stay in port, the commander and the chief of operations attended a maritime security seminar with all the military units docked in Tema participating in the 'Joint Naval Exercise EU & India'. This event ended with the exercise between the different crews of the units, favouring the maritime security capabilities of the coastal countries, with the common objective of achieving safe and secure maritime spaces free of threats.

The ship's crew visited different units and facilities in the port, taking advantage of these events to get to know each other and establish relationships based on mutual trust, which allow for an increase in international maritime security. They also made socio-cultural visits to various centres, such as the University of Ghana, where they were received by professors and students of the Hispanic Club, where Spanish is studied, together with embassy staff, and visited the Order of St. John of God, a hospital located in the north of the country's capital, with the aim of supporting the State's external action in cultural and solidarity aspects.