ESPS Canarias concludes Op Sophia deployment

The Spanish Navy ship has been deployed to EUNAVFOR’s Operation Sophia for 114 days and has saved lives of 1,122 people.

The frigate Canarias on January 18 ended its mission in the Central Mediterranean where the ship’s crew have been fighting illegal trafficking off the coast of Libya for more than 100 days.

During this time, the frigate has participated in five rescues and has saved the lives of 945 men, 104 women and 72 children.

Canarias spent four months away from her homeport, the Rota Naval Base, Spain, which she departed on October 1 to become the first Spanish naval unit to contribute to the mission.

The ship that will now take over Canarias’ role is her sister ship, the ESPS Numancia. The two Spanish frigates met in the Sicilian port of Augusta on January 22 and after two days of preparations ESPS Numancia officially took over Canarias’ role.

The Canarias then headed to her homeport and was seen off by the European Mission’s Force Commander, Admiral Andrea Gueglio of the Italian Navy.

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