Spanish Military Conducts Defense Drills in Strategic Strait of Gibraltar

Carried out from February 6 to 12 by the 4th Coastal Artillery Regiment, from the Field Artillery Command (MACA) of the Spanish army, under the operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS), these exercises involved nearly 200 men and the deployment of artillery equipment and necessary logistical elements. The maneuvers were carried out at various strategic points in the Campo de Gibraltar, from where maritime traffic in the strait is controlled, reports Voxpopuli.

The objective of the operation was to ensure that "Spain has an optimal tool for the control and surveillance of coastal areas of interest," the Defense Staff (EMAD) specified, stating that these exercises made it possible to test the capabilities of the armed forces in terms of maritime traffic control, and to promote interoperability with the means deployed by the Navy in the region to protect national interests. "The 4th Coastal Artillery Regiment is equipped and trained to defend and control the Spanish coasts, or any other place required by international commitments," the staff adds.

The army also has various units responsible for protecting the Spanish enclaves located in the region, such as Al Hoceima, Vélez de la Gomera or the Chafarinas Islands. The Navy also protects the national maritime spaces of the strait. In this sense, the high-altitude patrol boat Atalaya has been deployed in the Strait of Gibraltar area, the main gateway to the Mediterranean and concentrating intense maritime traffic, which makes it a strategic area, especially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.