OPV Rayo begins her deployment on the west coast of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea

•  During her first call, in the port of Mindelo, Cape Verde, she will bring a donation of humanitarian aid to the Civil Protection Service of that country

The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Rayo P-42 has set sail to begin her deployment in the Gulf of Guinea as part of the European Union's Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP), an initiative that reinforces the commitment of the Navy and Spain to security in this region of high strategic value.

An emotional farewell ceremony was held Las Palmas Naval Station, presided over by Rear Admiral Santiago De Colsa Trueba, Commander of the Canary Islands Naval Command (ALCANAR), who highlighted the importance of the mission entrusted to Rayo and emphasised his total confidence in the professionalism, camaraderie and dedication of the crew.

From the quay, the families of the crew witnessed and took part in the farewell, before setting sail through African waters, a navigation that will last until mid-December.

For this deployment, the ship, commanded by Lieutenant Commander José Antonio Parejo Cabezas, with 81 personnel on board, has a security operational team from the Madrid Marine Corps Group (AGRUMAD) of the Protection Force, ROLE-1, an intelligence analyst and an interpreter.

In addition, she has two officers from allied navies on board, one from the Portuguese Navy and the other from the Argentine Navy. In terms of her equipment, OPV Rayo embarks M5D AIRFOX unmanned aircrafts, hence significantly increasing her maritime surveillance capabilities.

The ship is now sailing to her first port of call, Mindelo, in Cape Verde, where she will be docking on 4 September. There, among other activities, a donation of humanitarian aid will be given to the Cape Verdean National Civil Protection Service. This donation has been organised by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

During the next three and a half months the ship is scheduled to call at Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Gabon, Angola, Senegal and Mauritania. At all these harbours, OPV Rayo will conduct military cooperation activities to promote mutual understanding and trust, as well as to increase local capabilities in the area of maritime security. She will also support Spanish diplomatic delegations, with the aim of contributing to the State's actions abroad and strengthening national interests in the region.

EU Coordinated Maritime Presence

The deployment of the OPV Rayo contributes significantly to strengthening the European Union's Coordinated Maritime Presence initiative, which is an effective and comprehensive tool for improving maritime security in the area, as well as advancing cooperation between the EU and the states of West and Central Africa.

The aim of this European mechanism in the African region is to ensure a permanent maritime presence and readiness, to promote international maritime cooperation and to provide greater European operational capability. It is worth noting that Spain, as a partner fully committed to European security and defence, is one of the main contributors to this EU initiative.