OPV ‘Furor’ deploys in the West coast of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.

Friday, March 5th 2021

The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ‘Furor’ is the most modern unit of the Spanish Navy and during the next three months she will carry out maritime security tasks in waters of the Gulf of Guinea.

At 12.30 a.m. this morning, the ‘Furor’ left her base in Cartagena, to set course for the west coast of the African continent where she will conduct maritime security operations and defense diplomacy missions.

With the aim of guaranteeing the Security and Defense of Spain, the ship will carry out cooperation activities with some coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea, both at sea and in port, seeking to increase the military capabilities through training and advice in activities related to maritime security, contributing to reduce the existing risks in the area and increasing, in this way, the stability of the region.

Additionally, the ‘Furor’ will also support the State's foreign policy within the framework of the Defense Diplomacy Plan. With a series of activities based on strengthening ties and increasing mutual knowledge, the ship will show Spain's commitments to allied countries, to international stability, and to the defense of our maritime interests such as fishing or the traffic of oil and gas supplies in a particularly sensitive region. The deployment also includes participation in the pilot project of the European Union's CMP (Coordinated Maritime Presence) concept in the Gulf of Guinea and joint patrols with units from the coastal countries.

Within the activities included in the Defense Diplomacy plan, the ship is scheduled to call at the ports of Noaudhibou (Mauritania), Tema (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), Douala (Cameroon), Port Gentil and Libreville (Gabon), and Dakar (Senegal).

OPV ‘Furor’ has a specific contingent for the mission of 63 men and 5 women, including the ship's own crew (54 people), a Marine Corps VPD (Vessel Protection Detachment) and other commissioned personnel including an interpreter, a doctor and a diving instructor.

About the offshore patrol vessel ‘Furor’

The ‘Furor’ is the sixth offshore patrol vessel of the ‘Meteoro’-class that Navantia built for the Spanish Navy in its Ferrol shipyards.

The main mission of these OPVs is Maritime Interdiction Operations; that is to say the implementation of measures to monitor and prohibit the transit of people and goods within a defined geographical area. They normally consist of the interception and, if necessary, the boarding of ships to verify their cargo if economic or military sanctions have been previously imposed.

The ship is also prepared to carry out surveillance, SAR (search and rescue) and marine pollution control missions in collaboration with other State departments with responsibilities in the maritime domain.