OPV ‘Relámpago’ returns home after her deployment in the Gulf of Guinea.

After 135 days of maritime surveillance and security duties off the west coast of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea, the offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ‘Relámpago’ (P-43) has just returned to her base at the Las Palmas Military Arsenal (Canary Islands).

With a reinforced crew of 71 people, more than 14,000 miles, and the accomplished goal of improving maritime security in a region of great importance to Spain, the OPV ‘Relámpago’ has carried out 1,200 vessel inspections, in addition to supporting the European Union's ‘Coordinated Maritime Presence’ initiative, which emphasizes interoperability among member states as a primary objective.

During this deployment, the ‘Relámpago’ has visited seven ports in the Gulf of Guinea and the west coast of Africa (Douala, Luanda, Libreville, Sekondi, Abidjan, Cotonou, Dakar, and Nouadhibou) and has provided support within cooperative security activities to the navies of these countries, improving their training in different areas. These collaborations have enabled the training of more than 280 military personnel and the implementation of nine combined patrols with resources from other navies in the area, thus increasing trust and synergies with the Spanish Navy and Spain.

As regards the European Union's activities, within the framework of the above-mentioned ‘Coordinated Maritime Presence’ initiative, exercises and surveillance patrols have been carried out aimed at enhancing regional development and the Yaoundé maritime security architecture. These initiatives promote the joint action of all units present in the area and their coordination with the regional maritime operations centers.