Launch of 'Enhanced Presence' Operation in the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and the Balearic Islands

•  The operation aims at presence, surveillance, and deterrence, as well as strengthening cohesion and coordination between the land, maritime, air, space, and cyberspace commands.

From today until March 14, the Land, Maritime, Air, Space, and Cyberspace Operational Commands will execute a coordinated 'Enhanced Presence' operation in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, as well as in the islands and territories under national sovereignty. The objective is to maintain a visible presence, conduct persistent surveillance, and reinforce deterrence capabilities.

This operation coincides with the deployment of the ‘Dedalo’ Combat Expeditionary Group of the Navy in the maritime areas of the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar, as well as the execution of the ‘Eagle Eye’ exercise by the Air and Space Army in the eastern Mediterranean region. 

This enhanced presence, with deployments 24 hours a day, also contributes to the cohesion and coordination of units from different commands, while reinforcing situational awareness in all domains of the operation.

Land Operational Command

The Land Operational Command (MOT) proceeds with its annual plan, activating various tactical groups and subgroups to conduct Presence, Surveillance, and Deterrence Operations throughout the extra-peninsular territories, including the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and, more recently, the Balearic Islands, which were integrated into the Land Operational Command (MOT) in January.

In February, the ‘Canarias’ 50 Infantry Regiment deployed a section on the island of La Palma, where they carried out patrols and maintained constant contact with the civilian population.

In the Ceuta and Melilla areas, Sections, Subgroups, and Tactical Groups from the ‘Gran Capitán’  Legion, ‘Duque de Alba’ 2nd of Legion, ‘Grupo de Regulares’ 52nd and 54th ,  10th  Armored Cavalry Regiment ‘Alcántara’, and 30th  Mixed Artillery Regiment have been activated. 

Regarding the Balearic Command, as the Operational Command for the Balearic Islands, in February, a section from the ‘Palma’ 47th Infantry Regiment was activated on the island of Menorca. From March 3 to 7, as part of the Land Operational Command activities, a platoon was deployed on the island of Mallorca with missions of presence, surveillance, and deterrence, conducting foot and motorized patrols and reconnaissance. Later, to complete this task, a company-sized unit will deploy in Mallorca between March 17 and 19.

Since January, the General Command of the Balearic Islands (COMGEBAL in Spanish) has integrated into the Land Operational Command. This integration of COMGEBAL into the MOT will be as the Balearic Operational Command (MOBAL in Spanish) and will intensify presence across all the Balearic Islands, enhancing situational awareness, conducting surveillance operations and strengthening institutional relations to support civil authorities if required.

The Land Operational Command (MOT) is the Armed Forces body responsible for planning, conducting and monitoring all these operations under the operational control of the Operations Command. 

Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence operations are an effective tool for maintaining surveillance over areas of national sovereignty, enabling the early detection of threats and facilitating an immediate and viable response to a potential crisis.

Operations Command

The Operations Command, under the command of the Defense Staff, is responsible for planning and directing permanent operations within the national territory designed to ensure presence, maintain surveillance, and create deterrence in both terrestrial and maritime spaces, as well as in air, space, and cyberspace. To achieve these objectives, it has subordinate Operational Commands: Land (MOT), Maritime (MOM), Air (MOA), Space (MOESPA), and Cyberspace (MOC).