Multipurpose maritime surveillance operation in the Southern Atlantic region
Spain
Coordinated by the Spanish Directorate General for the Merchant Marine, the RPAS service supplied by EMSA covers the Spanish EEZ in the Gulf of Cádiz, Strait of Gibraltar and Alborán Sea, supporting the coast guard function of six different bodies: the Spanish Maritime SAR Agency (Salvamento Marítimo); Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance (DAVA); the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil); Spanish General Secretariat of Fisheries; Agency for the Management of Agriculture and Fisheries of Andalusia (AGAPA); and the Spanish Navy.
An important aspect of this service is the environmental benefit it brings to the region as well as how it reduces emissions during operation periods. The long endurance of the RPAS craft reduces operating costs, decreases risks and greatly enhanced operations. The aircraft can perform long-range operations for multiple authorities at once, reducing the number of maritime patrols by the cooperating authorities, thus radically cutting down on the use of fuel oil, and associated air emissions.
The service has been used to support monitoring of marine litter in the Gulf of Cádiz. It is also used to carry out oil spill verification activities in the area during deployments and environmental monitoring.