Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Atalaya (P-74), under command of the Maritime Security and Surveillance Center, has conducted a series of cooperative security operations with the Mauritanian Navy last week, and is now collaborating with the Cape Verdean Coast Guard.
While in Mauritania, Atalaya embarked Mauritanian servicemen to provide information on the maritime activities of the zone. The Spanish OPV was in permanent contact with the Mauritanian Maritime Operations Control Center in Nouakchott to coordinate the scheduled mission.
In Cape Verde, the Atalaya is now conducting different maritime security and damage control drills and will soon participate in another combined maritime surveillance patrol.
The latest deployment of the fourth Meteoro-class patrol boat is supporting the Spanish Defense Diplomacy Plan intended to cooperate with regional west-African nations to help them improve their capabilities and to foster mutual understanding with confidence-building measures, thus contributing to maritime security.
This Defense initiative is designed to enhance stability and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, strengthening the operational capabilities of west-African nations with joint training exercises.
The OPV Atalaya is commanded by Lt-Cdr. Jesús González-Cela and is homeported in Ferrol, Spain.
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