Delegates from the ‘DV11 Event’ visit Gando Air Base

•  They attended a demonstration of the Super Puma HD.21 rescue and salvage helicopters and the take-off of F18 fighter jets, as well as a static display of the different aircraft

Delegates from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), participating in the 2011 Vienna Document Event, ‘VD11 Event’, visited Gando Air Base in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria today.

These representatives have met the flight squadrons and attended a static display of F18 fighter jets (C.15); the CN235 VIGMA maritime surveillance aircraft (D.4); and Super Puma HD.21 helicopters. In addition, the fighters took off and they witnessed a rescue and salvage demonstration by the HD-21s.

They also toured the photovoltaic plant and desalination plant, as well as other facilities such as the gym, the first-aid room, and the pavilions.

The visit to Gando Air Base also included a briefing on the Air Force and on the history, units, organizational structure, functions, and activities of Gando Air Base. Information was also provided on the training and instruction activities that normally take place at its facilities.

Besides, Delegates were given the opportunity to communicate with officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel, including support and logistics units, as well as to view the main types of weaponry and equipment and their simulators.

At the end of the visit, a meeting was held in which the delegates assessed the visit and presented their impressions.

‘DV11 Event’

The 2011 Vienna Document Event, ‘VD11 Event’, is organised by the Spanish Verification Unit (UVE). Representatives from 24 countries of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are attending.

The main activities of this event, which is being held this week in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, are a visit to Gando Air Base, carried out today, and a visit to the 16th “Canarias” Brigade tomorrow.

Each OSCE nation that signed the 2011 Vienna Document Treaty, Treaty DV11, organises an event of this kind every five years on its territory. This is the first time it has been held in the Canary Islands, and the islands' main military authorities are in attendance.

Specifically, the countries participating in “Event DV11” are Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. In addition, a representative from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre is also present.

This initiative fulfils one of the commitments adopted through the Vienna Document 2011 (VD11), which was signed by 57 OSCE member states and stipulates that participants must organise, at least once every five years, a VD11 event consisting of a visit to an air base and a military facility. These activities are intended to promote confidence- and security-building measures in Europe.

Gando Air Base

The main unit at Gando Air Base is Wing 46, which is the primary means of defence and logistical air support in the Canary Islands.

Wing 46 is the only combat wing in Spain that has three weapon systems. On the one hand, Air Force Group 46, with Squadron 462, has F-18 fighter aircraft (C.15). On the other hand, Air Force Group 82 has Super Puma helicopters (HD.21), integrated into Squadron 802 RW, and the CN235 VIGMA aircraft (D.4), operated by Squadron 802 FW.

The main mission of Air Force Group 46 is the air defence of the Canary Islands archipelago. To this end, it maintains a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year alert service for the immediate take-off of two F-18 aircraft.

For its part, Air Force Group 82's main mission is to search for and rescue aircraft involved in accidents within its extensive area of responsibility. It is equipped with Super Puma helicopters and CASA 235/DELTA 4 maritime surveillance aircraft. It also provides assistance in the event of disasters or risks to human life.

Gando Air Base's motto is “Sand, Sea and Wind”, clearly indicating the negative effects its aircraft face due to corrosion and erosion. To mitigate these effects, an environmental management system is being implemented to achieve sustainable development through the improvement of forest mass, the reconstruction of extensive vegetation platforms in the central area, and the installation of a wastewater treatment plant and two seawater desalination plants.