The Maritime Action Ship ‘Rayo’ ends her stopover in Tema

• During her stay in port, it has carried out operational training exercises with Ghanaian military personnel, as well as activities in support of the diplomatic delegation

After stopping at the port of Tema in Ghana, the Maritime Action Ship (BAM) Rayo has returned to sea in the Gulf of Guinea. The ship is now sailing through African waters en route to Port Gentil (Gabon) as part of the European Union's Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP-GoG).

During her stay in port, the ship and her crew—under the command of Lieutenant Commander Jose Antonio Parejo Cabezas—carried out various activities in support of the Spanish Diplomatic Delegation, as well as joint training exercises with the Ghanaian Navy.

On the second day in Tema, Commander Parejo, together with a delegation from the Rayo, made formal visits to military authorities at the Ghana Navy Maritime Operations Center and the Eastern Naval Command.

Afetrwards, the Spanish ambassador to Ghana, Ángel Lossada Torres-Quevedo, who presided over the Spanish diplomatic representation, was welcomed aboard the ship. After the customary honors, the entire delegation had the opportunity to learn about the ship's different areas and capabilities, as well as her role in this European initiative, which aims to increase maritime security in a region of fundamental importance and maximum interest to Europe and Spain, in close cooperation with the coastal countries.

Joint training

In the days that followed, various joint training exercises were carried out with Ghanaian Navy personnel, with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation in maritime security. Among the activities carried out, the most notable were exercises involving the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), medical evacuation at sea, and replenishment maneuvers at sea. In addition, firefighting and bilge pumping techniques were discussed, as well as ship boarding and search techniques. All of this training has been a good opportunity to improve interoperability between the two navies, as well as helping to consolidate common operating procedures.

Now, the BAM ‘Rayo’ will continue her mission in the Gulf of Guinea. Her next stop, scheduled for October 20, will be the city of Port Gentil in Gabon. Until then, there will be many hours of sailing to increase her knowledge of the maritime environment and maritime surveillance in the Gulf of Guinea.

Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) of the European Union

This deployment of the BAM ‘Rayo’ contributes to strengthening the European Union's Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) initiative on the West Coast of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea as an effective tool for improving maritime security in the area and advancing cooperation between the EU and the states of West and Central Africa.

Since 2012, Spain, as a partner fully committed to European security and defense, has been one of the main contributors to this European initiative.