The Coastal Artillery Defence Unit joins the Maritime Operational Command

• The UDACTA, from the Coastal Artillery Regiment 4, deploys in Tarifa from 7 to 13 February

The Coastal Artillery Regiment 4 (RACTA 4), of the Field Artillery Command (MACA), will deploy a Coastal Artillery Defence Unit (UDACTA) in Tarifa from 7 to 13 February, integrated into the Maritime Operational Command (MOM), under the operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS).

RACTA 4 is equipped and trained to generate coastal defence capability anywhere in Spain. To this end, radars, artillery pieces, transmission elements and more than 130 military personnel with 40 vehicles will be deployed in the vicinity of the coastal town of Cádiz in the second week of February. The different units come from the San Fernando, Camarinal and El Bujeo barracks.

This unit, belonging to Joint Force Core I, has the mission of increasing knowledge of the maritime environment by means of joint maritime surveillance. Among its tasks will be to monitor maritime traffic and report vessels that carry out any type of suspicious activity. This activity is part of the permanent missions of the Armed Forces.

Also participating in the deployment is a Company of the 10th Flag of the La Legion Brigade, based in Ronda, with the mission of providing close protection to the deployed forces as a whole.

Maritime Operational Command (MOM)

MOM is the organisation of the operational structure of the Armed Forces, subordinate to the Chief of Defence Staff, responsible for planning, conducting and monitoring surveillance and security operations in maritime areas of sovereignty, responsibility and national interest. It is under the command of the Admiral of Maritime Action (ALMART) and is based in Cartagena.

Armed Forces’ Standing Operations

Standing Operations are an effective tool for maintaining surveillance of sovereign spaces, enabling early threat detection and enabling an immediate and effective response to a potential crisis.

The traditional Land Operational Command (MOT), Maritime (MOM), Aerospace (MOA) and the recently established Cyberspace (MOC) make up the Standing Command structure. On a daily basis, some 3,000 Armed Forces personnel are involved in permanent operations, under the operational control of the Operations Command.