The OPV Tornado ends its maritime surveillance operation in the Strait of Gibraltar and the ‘Alboran’ Sea

• The Navy vessel has carried out a maritime surveillance operation in areas under national sovereignty between the 15th and 30th of July

The OPV ‘Tornado’ set sail from its base at the 'Arsenal de Las Palmas' on the 15^th of July to carry out maritime surveillance in the maritime areas under national sovereignty in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea, within the framework of the Armed Forces' Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations (OPsVD).

During this operation, the vessel has been integrated into the Maritime Operational Command (MOM in Spanish), and has committed to the tasks inherent to Maritime Surveillance Operations, namely verification and control activities of marine vessel traffic in order to ensure freedom of navigation, as well as having maritime presence in the vicinity of the Alboran Island and waters under North African sovereignty.

The OPV ‘Tornado’ has carried out exercises with the frigate ‘Victoria’, which was also in the operations area, from which a firing exercise could be highlighted. These opportunities maintain the high standards of the training of the Navy's units, resulting in the improvement of operational capabilities as well as the strengthening of maritime security in the operations’ area.

The OPV ‘Tornado’ also coordinated a collaboration with two vessels of the Hellenic Navy, namely the frigate ‘Kanaris’ and the crude oil tanker ‘Prometheus’, and therefore fostering cooperation and increasing interoperability between the naval units of both countries, carrying out different maritime and communications exercises.

The vessel has returned to its base on the island of Gran Canaria after a fortnight at sea, accomplishing its mission within the framework of the Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations, in which an Operational Security Team from the Southern Tercio of Marine Infantry embarked.