The offshore patrol vessel Vigía begins a maritime surveillance operation in the Gulf of Cádiz, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea

• Over the next two months, under the operational control of the Operations Command, the ship will sail to cooperate in freedom of navigation in waters of national interest

The offshore patrol vessel Vigía has set sail from her home port at the Puntales Naval Station in Cádiz. During the next two months of navigation, her crew and the Security Operations Team will be integrated into the operational structure of the Armed Forces, under the control of the Operations Command (MOPS) through the Maritime Operations Command (MOM), to carry out Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations (OPVD).

During these patrols, the Vigía will carry out maritime surveillance operations (MSO) and maintain a naval presence in the waters of the Atlantic, western Mediterranean and Alboran Sea. This will increase her knowledge of the maritime environment, while contributing to security and freedom of navigation in waters under national sovereignty and of interest near the rocks in North Africa (Rock of Al Hoceima and Rock of Vélez de la Gomera), the Chafarinas Islands, Alborán Island, Algeciras Bay, as well as a large area of the Spanish coastline (Gulf of Cádiz, Málaga, Ceuta and Melilla).

The patrol boat is part of the Maritime Action Force (FAM), which, as part of the Fleet, brings together units whose main mission is to prepare to protect and exercise control over maritime areas of national interest. In this context, and from a comprehensive approach, the FAM assumes responsibility for maintaining constant cooperation with the various competent maritime administration agencies, thus constituting the Navy's contribution to State Action at Sea.

Maritime Operational Command (MOM)

From its headquarters in Cartagena, the Maritime Operational Command (MOM), under the command of Vice Admiral Vicente Cuquerella Gamboa, is the body within the Armed Forces' operational structure responsible, at its level, for planning, conducting, and monitoring OPVDs. These permanent operations are an effective tool for maintaining surveillance of maritime areas of national interest, enabling early detection of threats and facilitating an immediate and viable response to a potential crisis.

These OPVDs 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. All Operational Commands participate in them: Land (MOT), Maritime (MOM), Air (MOA), Space (MOESPA) and Cyberspace (MOC), which together make up the Permanent Commands structure.