OVERVIEW
OVERLOOK
Armada
Deployment of
the OPV Furor
Three months on the African coast
The offshore patrol vessel Furor (P-46) set sail from its base
in Cartagena on 5 March towards the western coast of the
African continent. It has three months ahead during which it will
conduct maritime security and defence diplomacy operations,
mainly off the coast of Guinea.
Maritime security operations will be conducted both at sea and
in the ports of the neighbouring countries of the Gulf of Guinea,
which will support the training and advice in order to help reduce
risks in the area and thus improve the stability in the region. As
part of the Defence Diplomacy Plan, the ship will help strengthen
ties and enhance mutual understanding with these countries.
During the deployment, the Furor will participate in the EU’s
Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) pilot project in the Gulf
of Guinea and will conduct joint patrols with other vessels in the
area. To carry out these missions, the Furor has a specific crew
for the mission made up of 68, including the ship’s own crew (54
people), an Operational Security Team (EOS) belonging to the
Spanish Marines, an interpreter, a doctor and a diving instructor.
Exercise Iniochos’21
F-18s from Torrejón and Zaragoza
Air Bases train in Greece
EIGHT EF-18M fighter jets from the 12th and 15th
Fighter Wings of the Spanish Air Force were
deployed to the Greek air base of Andravida to
participate for the first time in the multinational exercise
Iniochos’21, organised by the Greek Air Force, which took
place from 12 to 22 April with the participation of Air Forces
from the United States, France, Israel, the United Arab
Emirates and Cyprus.
This annual air exercise aims to enhance combat
readiness and fighting capability, while also offering
the opportunity to conduct complex air operations or
Composite Air Operations (COMAO) in a multinational,
joint force environment.
For their deployment, the Spanish fighters were
supported by A400M transport aircraft from the 31st Fighter
Ejército del Aire
Wing and an Airbus A310 from the 45th Air Force Group.
This year, the US participated with F-16C Fighting Falcon
fighter-bombers, as well as a KC-135 aerial refuelling
aircraft and an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle.
France deployed Rafale and Mirage 2000D fighter jets,
the United Arab Emirates its F-16E/F, Cyprus an AW139
SAR helicopter, and Israel its F-16I and F-15I fighters. The
Greek hosts provided F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighters, as
well as EMB-145H early warning aircraft and a P-3 Orion.
66 Revista Española de Defensa August 2021