The Commander of the Joint Operations Command visits the Land Operational Command

• During his official stay, Lieutenant General Agüero visited the units deployed in the Canary Islands as part of the operational activation ‘Reinforced Presence’

The Commander of the Joint Operations Command (MOPS in Spanish), Lieutenant General José Antonio Agüero Martínez, has conducted an inspection visit to the Land Operational Command (MOT in Spanish) this week, accompanied by a delegation that included the Deputy Operations Commander, Brigadier General Fernando Martín Pascual.

Lieutenant General Agüero’s visit began at the Land Operations Center (COTER) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where he met with Lieutenant General Julio Salom Herrera, Commander of the MOT. He then joined a videoconference with all commanders under the MOT’s command, including those stationed on the islands and in the sovereign territories.

Subsequently, Lieutenant Generals Agüero and Salom traveled to the 'General Alemán Ramírez' base in Gran Canaria, where they were greeted by Brigadier General Ricardo Esteban Cabrejos, Commander of the ‘Canarias’ XVI Brigade. At the Brigade Headquarters, they were briefed on the Canary Islands Tactical Operations Center. Following the briefing, they toured the facilities, including a visit to the III/32 Electronic Warfare Battalion.

Later, they traveled to the town of Firgas to observe the deployment of the Tactical Subgroup C of the ‘Canarias’ Tactical Group and from there, the delegation moved to the Projection Support Unit ‘Marqués de Herrera’ on the island of Lanzarote, where they were received by the Reconnaissance Unit of the Tactical Group. These Projection Support Unit facilities are essential to the functioning of the operational units.

The visit also included the Projection Support Unit ‘General Anatolio Fuentes’ on the island of El Hierro, from where they traveled to La Restinga for a situation update. They then headed to the town of San Andrés to observe the deployment of the Field Artillery Unit of Tactical Operations, before returning to the Headquarters of the Land Operational Command in Tenerife.

The Land Operational Command (MOT)

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.

The Operations Command (MOPS)

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).