The balance of the Admiral of Maritime Action in the Military Easter reveals a slight decrease compared to the 4,000 of the previous year
The Admiral of Maritime Action, Juan Luis Sobrino Pérez-Crespo, reported this Thursday, in the act of celebration of the Military Easter in Cartagena, that in 2021 the units of the Navy helped to “intercept” 3,600 immigrants who were trying to reach the Spanish coasts through the Mediterranean Sea aboard around 300 boats. This figure represents a slight decrease over the 4,000 that it recorded in the balance that it made a year ago compared to 2020.
“Within the framework of Operation Indalo 2021, directed by the Civil Guard and coordinated by the European Border Agency Frontex, we have fulfilled the objective of carrying out an effective control of the southern maritime border of the continent to prevent the illegal trafficking of people, the majority of Algerian nationality ”, explained Sobrino Pérez-Crespo
This operation was one of those highlighted by the military high command responsible for controlling the coastal waters. In his balance, he also mentioned the mission of the Maritime Action Vessel ‘Furor’ for coastal control in the Gulf of Guinea. Also that of the Army to provide security in Lebanon and Mali, as well as the work of supporting the 73rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment to Turkey, on the border with Syria, and the participation in Operation Atalanta against piracy and the deployment of the Civil Guard in escort of the Spanish fishing boats on the coast of Senegal and Mauritania as well, to protect them from possible collisions.
In the field of the Air Force, he highlighted the work of the paratrooper sappers based in Alcantarilla in Iran and Senegal and the fact that last year they exceeded the historical figure of 200,000 launches. At the San Javier General Air Academy, 120 new lieutenants received their dispatches and this year the Pilatus PC-21 training system begins “which will replace the C-101 veterans next year.” There are already several new aircraft on the base and they will gradually remove the old trainer aircraft.
Mobilization of one hundred trackers against Covid-19
The support of the Navy to the fight against the sixth wave of infections by Covid-19 “has meant to urgently reactivate 50 trackers, which will reach 100 during January and make four vaccination teams available to the Autonomous Community” explained Sobrino Pérez-Crespo.
The admiral stressed that “the service of the armed forces to the citizenry in the Balmis and Baluarte operations is a clear sign of commitment to the citizenry, also in non-military missions.” In them, the troops “always act with enthusiasm, a vocation for service and teamwork that society thanks us.”
Among the additions of ships, Sobrino Pérez-Crespo highlighted that “the submarine S-81 ‘Isaac Peral’ is scheduled to start sea trials in spring. Also that the last submersible in the S-70 series, the ‘Galerna’, »faces the last milestones of its fifth great chain« and that it has already been floated to rejoin service.
Sobrino Pérez Crespo regretted that “the obligatory restrictions and health security measures have prevented us from maintaining the intense consolidated relationship with the region’s society.” “Visits to our facilities were suspended for much of the year and there have hardly been any swearing of the flag with the presence of civilians,” said the high command of the Navy. However, he stressed that the orientation activities in schools have continued, which could be carried out electronically in 120 sessions and in person on 14 occasions, during the beginning of last autumn.
Finally the admiral recalled the benefits of maintaining the celebration every year of Military Easter that commemorates the recovery of the Island of Menorca, in January 1782, previously invaded by the English. In his opinion, it is the best way to remind society of the service that the armed forces render it, not only in defense of territorial integrity, but also of security in military and civil missions.
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