The OPV Furor concludes its stopover in Nouadhibou, where it has carried out operational, diplomatic and social activities

The crew of the vessel have contributed to improving civil-military cooperation with the African country.

The Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Furor, deployed within the framework of the Coordinated Maritime Presences in the Gulf of Guinea (CMP GoG) and along the West African coast has concluded her port call at the port of Nouadhibou, in Mauritania.

This is her first African call since setting sail from its base in Cartagena. The crew has carried out a programme of activities, operational, ceremonial and social, which have helped to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in the field of maritime security between the two countries.

During this port call, the crew of the Furor, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ángel García Estrada, carried out military cooperation activities (MCAs) and civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) actions. These were aimed at reinforcing Spain’s naval presence, as well as contributing to maritime security and freedom of navigation in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. These areas are of strategic interest to Spain and Europe, both commercially and in terms of fisheries.

Upon arrival in port, the OPV Furor received an official visit on board from the Ambassador of Spain to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mr Pablo Barbará Gómez, who was rendered honours by the ship’s crew. The Commanding Officer then accompanied the Ambassador on a tour of the vessel’s main facilities, followed by a detailed briefing on the capabilities of OPV-class vessels and the objectives of the deployment in the region.

The following day, the Ambassador of Spain to Mauritania and the Commanding Officer of the Furor, together with the Spanish Defence Attaché to Mauritania, conducted several courtesy visits to local civil and military authorities. These included meetings with the Wali (Civil Governor) of the Nouadhibou Region, the Mayor of the city, the Commanders of the Naval Base and the Regional Coast Guard, and the Colonel commanding Mauritania’s First Military Region. A formal ceremony was held on board at sunset, followed by a reception hosted by the Spanish Ambassador, which was attended by numerous civil and military authorities from the city.

Operational Military Cooperation Activities

Regarding operational cooperation activities, a delegation from the ship’s crew, led by the Commanding Officer, and personnel from the Spanish Defence Attaché Office in Mauritania conducted several technical visits to the Mauritanian Naval Academy and the Coast Guard Surveillance Centre.

These units, with which Spain has been cooperating for more than two decades, have demonstrated a significant improvement in operational capabilities and technical means. The delegation also visited the new facilities of the Mauritanian Coast Guard in the Tour Bleue area of Cape Blanc. The programme concluded with a visit to the Mauritanian Navy vessel NIMLANE (L-981).

Further MCA activities involving the crews of Furor and the Mauritanian Navy and Coast Guard were conducted. These included training in diving medicine, hull maintenance, weapons handling, operating unmanned aerial systems and navigation radars, and sessions on operating and maintaining electrical power generation and propulsion systems.

In parallel, several CIMIC activities were carried out with members of the Mauritanian Navy, including a football match at the city’s municipal stadium. Donations from Spain were also delivered, consisting of equipment for the recently inaugurated University of Nouadhibou, on behalf of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and school supplies for the local educational centre Mission Catholique, which provides education to more than 250 children aged between one and seven.

OPV Furor in CMP GoG

Spain has been conducting this type of naval deployment in Africa since 2012, at first under the designation African Deployment, and currently within the framework of the European Union’s Coordinated Maritime Presences. In this context, and since 19 January, the OPV Furor, integrated into the Spanish Navy’s Maritime Action Force, has been conducting the first annual rotation of this deployment.

The main mission of the OPV Furor is to maintain readiness to protect national maritime interests and to contribute to maritime domain awareness in areas of national interest. With a comprehensive approach, it is responsible for ensuring ongoing cooperation with the various government agencies with jurisdiction in the maritime sphere, which constitutes the Navy's contribution to the State's actions at sea.