The Canarias Tactical Group carries out presence and surveillance patrols in La Gomera and Lanzarote

• The military patrols are deployed on both islands to contribute to the comprehensive protection of the territory.

Under the direction of the Land Operations Command, Canary Islands units are reactivating their Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence operations in the territory. This week, soldiers from the 16th Canary Islands Brigade are conducting patrols on the island of La Gomera under the command of the 93rd Field Artillery Regiment (RACA 93 by its Spanish acronym), while a section of the 50th Canary Islands Infantry Regiment has been deployed in Lanzarote.

Artillerymen have been deployed to the island of La Gomera to contribute, alongside other institutions, to the comprehensive protection of the territory while strengthening ties with the local population. Soldiers from RACA 93, who are based in Tenerife, travelled to the Alajeró Infant and Primary Education Centre, where they delivered an informative presentation about the Army's work and held an equipment exhibition.

For the head of the section deployed in La Gomera, Lieutenant Jorge Diestro, these operational activities are a way of getting closer to the population that “is not so used to seeing us”. He stresses that “it is important that they feel as safe as on islands where there is a greater military presence”. In this regard, he explained that with these patrols, in addition to increasing surveillance, they hope to give greater visibility to the tasks carried out by the military in times of peace, and that the inhabitants of the island are always fully aware that “we are there for them and because of them.”

Lieutenant Diestro highlighted the experience of his personnel, noting that “there are military personnel who are already veterans of this type of operation. They have all told me that it is a useful exercise for improving the Army's relationship with the population.’ These reconnaissance missions involve searching for possible settlements or emergency routes, with the aim of “always being prepared to provide security for the island.”

Deployment in Lanzarote

The soldiers of RI 50, based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, took advantage of this deployment not only to monitor the territory but also to improve their skills. In this context, the head of section, Lieutenant Gonzalo Egea, highlighted that “for the Infantry, there is a clear benefit to training in the volcanic and insular environment, as Lanzarote offers arid, volcanic and coastal terrain that is different from that of the mainland.” He also believes that these operations ”allow us to realise the projection capabilities we have with our own resources to deploy on an island other than our base’.”

In addition to the patrols, they carried out other activities, including a talk given at Las Maretas Secondary School in Arrecife. At the school, sixth form students learned about the duties of the Canarias Tactical Group and the XVI Canarias Brigade. They also heard about the values and spirit of service of the military personnel who protect them.

For Lieutenant Egea, this first deployment in Lanzarote is being approached “with enthusiasm and excitement, as this type of deployment also helps us to get to know our islands better. We all hope that our presence and surveillance will help to make the population feel safer.”

The Land Operations Command

Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations are an effective tool for maintaining surveillance of national sovereign spaces. The Operations Command, under the Defence Staff, is responsible for exercising operational control of these permanent operations, while the Land Operations Command (MOT), under the command of Lieutenant General Julio Salom Herrera, is the Armed Forces body responsible for planning, conducting and monitoring all these operations under the operational control of the Operations Command.