The Spanish Frigate ESPS CANARIAS joined EUNAVFOR MED
On October 5 2015, the Spanish frigate ESPS Canarias officially has joined EUNAVFOR MED.
The Spanish ship reached the European mission flag-ship, the Italian aircraft vessel Cavour, in the military harbor of Augusta, in Sicily, early in the morning, spending an entire briefing-day on board to complete the procedures and organizational deployment set up into the European Task Force.
The Frigate Canarias (F-86) is a sixth ‘Santa María’ class frigate, carrying 202 crew persons and “Tweety”, a SH-60B Seahawk helicopter, specially equipped for intelligence patrolling and surveillance flights.
On 7th October, as announced by the EU Political and Security Committee last September 28th, Operation EUNAVFOR MED will move to its second phase which would allow for the boarding, search, seizure and diversion of smugglers’ vessels on the high seas under the conditions provided for by applicable international law.