- Open days will be held to introduce the ship to the city of Melilla.
The offshore patrol vessel "Vigía" will call at Melilla from 2 to 5 July. During its stay, it will remain berthed at the Melilla mineral loading dock, in the Noray Marina, and will open its doors to the public on Friday the 5th from 16:00 to 20:00 in the afternoon.
The reason for this stopover of the ship, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Cristian Delgado Ramos, is to carry out naval presence in the town of Melilla within the framework of maritime surveillance and security activities.
During its stay in port, it will receive support from the Melilla Naval Command, part of the Maritime Action Force (FAM), which, within the Fleet, is responsible, with a comprehensive approach, for ensuring permanent cooperation with the various government agencies with powers in the maritime field, as the Navy's contribution to the ESP State's action at sea.
The offshore patrol vessel P-73 "Vigía".
The "Vigía" is based in Cádiz and is part of the Maritime Action Force (FAM), which, within the Fleet, is made up of a group of units whose main task is to protect national maritime interests and control maritime areas of national sovereignty and interest. It is responsible, with a comprehensive approach, for ensuring permanent cooperation with the various government bodies with responsibilities in the maritime sphere, which constitutes the Navy's contribution to the State's action at sea.
In its 32 years of service, it has participated in different operations such as the Halibut conflict (NAFO), Noble Sentinel, Indalo, the Perejil Island crisis, the African deployment in the Gulf of Guinea and the 5+5 Defence Initiatives, as well as fighting illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
Since 20 June, the offshore patrol vessel "Vigía" has been transferred to Joint Force Core No. 1 NFC-1. This force core belongs to the operational structure of the Armed Forces under the control of the Operations Command (MOPS) through the Maritime Operational Command (MOM) to carry out maritime surveillance and security operations (MSO) in the Gulf of Cadiz, Strait of Gibraltar and Alboran Sea. Among its 42 men and women, there is an AGRUMAD Operational Security Team of marines, responsible for increasing the vessel's security and protection capabilities.
Maritime Operational Command (MOM)
The Maritime Operational Command (MOM) is the body within the operational structure of the Armed Forces, subordinate to the Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD) and under the operational control of the Operations Command, responsible for planning, conducting and monitoring permanent 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.
Las Operaciones de Presencia, Vigilancia y Disuasión
Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations are an effective tool for maintaining surveillance of sovereign spaces, enabling early detection of threats and facilitating an immediate and viable response to a potential crisis.
The Land (MOT), Maritime (MOM), Air (MOA), Space (MOESPA) and Cyberspace (MOC) Operational Commands make up the Permanent Command structure. On a daily basis, some 3,000 Armed Forces personnel are involved in these types of operations under the operational control of the Operations Command.
