After all a day ready and prepared to receive orders, she fits in the first minutes of the morning of this Friday from the port of Cartagena (Murcia) to the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, where the humanitarian aid flotilla that is directed to Gaza is located, to “assist her” if necessary in case of attack. The recent aggressions against half a hundred vessels from several countries (Italy, Greece, Tunisia) have driven the Armed Forces of and Spain to step forward and send ships of their respective armed to protect their nationals in case it is necessary.
He Furor94 meters in length, it is a maritime action ship (BAM) in which about 46 men are embarked between officers, non -commissioned officers and sailor. In addition, there are ten marina and a health team. Late in the morning, the Navy has also received the order to also embark on a legal advisor and an intelligence team that is usually composed of two people. The Ministry of Defense, following the security recommendations, has given the order to wait and leave at night also taking advantage of a local holiday to avoid all the media foci, although the exit has also been delayed because it has to enlist the ship. “That is not done from one day to another, it is very difficult,” says Navy sources.
The international situation is heating at times and while in New York, at the political level, countries like Spain or France harshly criticized the “that has already caused around 65,000 dead, many of them children -, Rome and Madrid have asked their armed ones to put to tuning wars to protect the flotilla. While Spain, for the moment, only the BAM that, despite being a warship, in this case already differentiates a frigate, is only equipped with two cannons and a machine gun, in addition to the foods for the crew. A crew that is “motivated”, according to a Cartagena source that recalls that this is a “real mission”, even if it is supported “nothing more.” And insists that the Furor It does not go escort, but its function will be to attend if necessary.
He Furorthen, heads to Crete, where the flotilla is located. But it will always remain at a “radar view” distance, according to the same sources. That is, at a distance between 12 and 24 miles. This responds to the BAM only wants to deter and give a sense of security to the members of the flotilla, but at the same time it wants to prevent it from being related to it. “You want to avoid that photo [de las embarcaciones demasiado juntas]”, Explain sources from the Navy. And that is why they insist that they will support, but they do not go escort, which would accompany the flotilla in parallel, almost elbow with side.
Game Rules
From now on, the interesting – and delicate – will see what the department directed by Margarita Robles decides on what BAM can do in the infinite scenarios that can be found. Your maneuvering capacity. It is what is known as roe (rules of engagement), which are a kind of rules or rules of the game that are elaborated to this In each mission.
These ROE are being prepared by the Ministry of Robles, together with the Defense Staff (EMAD) that, being already a mission abroad, takes the leadership. Navy sources advance that these norms will be “very limited”, which greatly restricts the ability to act, especially to the use of offensive weapons or any gesture that can be considered hostile. Las Roe do not necessarily have to be ready when it comes to sailing, but they do have to arrive and be clearly defined for when the Furor I arrive at the operations zone, predictably between Saturday night and Sunday, although it can be something else.
