Offshore Patrol Vessel Serviola reinforces maritime security in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea

•  The Spanish Navy vessel is operating within the framework of Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations

The Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Serviola is conducting a Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operation in maritime areas of permanent interest in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea.

During this two-month deployment, the vessel is carrying out tasks inherent to Maritime Security Operations (MSO), consisting of the verification and control of maritime traffic in order to ensure freedom of navigation. In addition, the vessel is conducting naval presence operations in the vicinity of Alboran Island and in Spanish sovereign waters in North Africa.

For this presence, surveillance and deterrence mission, the patrol vessel has embarked a Spanish Marine Corps Security Team to enhance its force protection and maritime interdiction capabilities.

The Serviola is also scheduled to call at the port of Motril, in Granada, from 8 to 12 March; at the Rota Naval Base from 23 to 27 March; and finally in Málaga from 10 to 14 April. Upon completion of this deployment, the vessel will return to her homeport in Ferrol.

This mission is conducted within the framework of the Armed Forces’ Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations, with the vessel integrated into the Maritime Operational Command (MOM) and under the operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS). The vessel will also provide associated support to NATO Operation “Sea Guardian”.

Offshore Patrol Vessel Serviola

The Offshore Patrol Vessel Serviola is one of three OPVs assigned to the Commander of the Maritime Action Units in Ferrol (COMARFER). Among its primary tasks are maritime security missions, protection of national maritime interests and control of maritime areas of sovereignty and national interest, as well as cooperation at sea with State Security Forces and Corps.

Maritime Operational Command and Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations

The Maritime Operational Command (MOM) is the body within the operational structure of the Armed Forces, subordinated to the Chief of Defence Staff (CHOD), responsible, at its level, for the planning, conduct and monitoring of operations involving presence, surveillance and deterrence in maritime areas of sovereignty, responsibility and national interest. It is under the command of the Admiral of Maritime Action (ALMART), Vice Admiral Vicente Cuquerella Gamboa, and is based in Cartagena.

Integrated into the Maritime Operational Command and under the operational control of the Operations Command, various Spanish Navy vessels conduct Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations. These operations constitute an effective tool for maintaining surveillance of areas of sovereignty and national interest, enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness, contributing, together with other State institutions, to their comprehensive protection, and enabling the early detection of threats and a timely and viable response in the event of a potential crisis.

Together with the Maritime Operational Command, the Land (MOT), Air (MOA), Space (MOESPA) and Cyberspace (MOC) Operational Commands form the structure of Permanent Operational Commands. On a daily basis, approximately 850 Armed Forces personnel are involved in these permanent operations, conducted under the operational control of the Operations Command.