The offshore patrol vessel ‘Serviola’ starts a new deployment in the West African coast.

The OPV ‘Serviola’ has left today her home port in Ferrol and is heading towards the West African coast and Gulf of Guinea, where she will deploy for the next three months.

The ship will carry out maritime surveillance and security tasks, as well as military cooperation activities, supporting diplomacy endeavors with the coastal states. The patrol vessel will also contribute to the enhancement of the military capabilities of regional Navies and will operate with other EU vessels present in the area.

The rise in piracy and other crimes at sea pose a significant risk to the legitimate work of our trawlers and the maritime community in this region as a whole. Those illegal activities are becoming a destabilizing element for maritime security, so it is intended to ensure the safe shipping of resources and goods to Spain.

The presence of the ‘Serviola’ in the West African coast and Gulf of Guinea also contributes to the improvement of the capabilities of coastal countries based primarily on dialogue and military cooperation. Good relations and mutual trust are established through the implementation of bilateral activities with individual countries, thus increasing their maritime skills. This deployment is likewise intended to enable them to effectively address the risks and threats posed to maritime security, consequently contributing to the stability of the region and to better international security.

A number of ports are scheduled to be visited in Mauritania, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon and Nigeria during the vessel's presence in the region. The ‘Serviola’ is currently under command of Lt-Cdr. Joaquín Pita da Veiga Subirats, and for this mission, the ship has embarked an Operational Security Squad for self-protection and support.