The Navy offshore patrol vessel ‘Centinela’ will call at the port of Melilla next August 25th

• The Navy offshore patrol vessel carries out one of the Armed Forces’ presence, surveillance and deterrence missions

During the afternoon of next August 25th, the Navy offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ‘Centinela’ will stop over at the port of Melilla, where it will remain until the morning of Sunday 27th August.

During the morning of Saturday 26th August, between 10:00 and 13:00 hours, the vessel’s doors will be open to the public of the city of Melilla in order to show more closely life on board and the activity of this Navy OPV.

The vessel, currently operating within the framework of the presence, surveillance and deterrence operations of the Armed Forces, is involved in a maritime surveillance and security operation. Its navigation depends on the Maritime Operational Command (MOM, in Spanish), under the operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS, in Spanish). This is coordinated with the Navy Maritime Surveillance and Operations Centre (COVAM in Spanish).

About the OPV ‘Centinela’

With approximately 50 military personnel, including the Security Operational Squad of the Northern Regiment (“Tercio Norte” or TERNOR in Spanish) of the Marine Corps, the OPV ‘Centinela’ is assigned to the Maritime Action units of the Command in Ferrol, belonging to the Maritime Action Force (FAM in Spanish). The mission of the latter is to contribute to the State Action at Sea by protecting the national maritime interests and controlling the maritime areas of sovereignty and national interest, thus contributing to a series of activities undertaken by several public administrations with responsibilities in the maritime field.

Maritime Action Force (FAM)

The FAM, integrated in the Fleet (FLOTA in Spanish), is formed by a set of units whose main task is to get prepared for the protection of international maritime interests and the control of maritime areas of national sovereignty and interest. It is in charge, with a comprehensive approach, of ensuring permanent cooperation with the different Administration bodies with competences in the maritime field, which constitutes the contribution of the Navy to the State Action at Sea.

Maritime Operational Command (MOM)

The Maritime Operational Command is the body within the operational structure of the Armed Forces, subordinate to the Chief of Defence Staff, responsible, at its own level, for the planning, implementation and monitoring of the permanent operations of surveillance and security of the maritime spaces of sovereignty, responsibility and national interest. It is under the command of the Vice Admiral of Maritime Action and has its base in Cartagena.

Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations

The Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations are an effective tool for the    maintenance of surveillance of sovereignty spaces, which enables to detect threats in advance and to facilitate an immediate and viable response in the event of a potential crisis.

The Operational Commands of Land (MOT), Maritime (MOM), Aerospace (MOA), and the recently created Cyberspace (MOC) conform the structure of the Permanent Commands.

On a daily basis, 3,000 Armed Forces personnel are involved in the permanent operations of presence, surveillance and deterrence, under the operational control of MOPS