Spanish patrol boat Vigía

Vigía (P-73) is a Serviola-class patrol boat of the Spanish Navy built in 1992. The ship's primary missions are oceanic patrol, fishing control, escort, and maritime rescue.

History
Spain
Name	Vigía
Builder	NAVANTIA
Launched	1992
Commissioned	23 March 1993
Identification	MMSI number: 225332000
General characteristics
Class and type	Serviola-class patrol boat
Displacement	1,200 tons
Length	68 m (223 ft 1 in)
Beam	10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draught	3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Installed power	7,500 hp (5,600 kW)
Propulsion	2 variable-pitch propellers
Speed	15.3 knots (28.3 km/h; 17.6 mph) max
Crew	45
Armament	3"/50 caliber gun 2 × 12.7 mm Browning machine guns

Description

Vigía is an offshore patrol vessel with a displacement of 1,200 tons. It is 68 m (223 ft 1 in) long, has a beam of 10 m (32 ft 10 in), and a draught of 3 m (9 ft 10 in). It is powered by two MTU engines which supply 7,500 horsepower (5,600 kW) to two variable-pitch propellers for a maximum speed of 15.3 knots (28.3 km/h; 17.6 mph). It is equipped with a single 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber gun and two 12.7 mm Browning machine guns, and has a crew of 45. Its flight deck can receive medium helicopters, and it hosts two rigid-hulled inflatable boats.^[1][2]

History

Vigía conducting an at-sea exchange exercise with USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. and USCGC John Scheuerman

Vigía was built by Navantia in Ferrol, and was delivered to the Spanish Navy on 23 March 1993. It has taken part in several international exercises over the course of its career, including Neo Tapon with NATO, Majestic Eagle, and Linked Seas.^[2]

In March 1995, Vigía set sail from Cádiz for Northeast Atlantic to protect fishing trawlers during the bloodless Turbot War with Canada, which had escalated earlier that month following the Canadian seizure of the vessel Estai.^[3]

One of the missions of Vigía is to conduct search and rescue operations. In 2014, a large flotilla of migrant vessels was detected in the Strait of Gibraltar. Vigía, along with Civil Guard and Maritime Rescue Service boats, captured a total of 94 boats with 920 immigrants aboard, of which Vigía rescued 6 boats and 48 people.^[4] In 2020, the ship took part in a search to find a missing sailor from a sunken fishing ship in the Alboran Sea.^[5]

A secondary mission of Vigía is to conduct cooperative and diplomatic missions in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. From February to June 2017, the vessel deployed to the Gulf of Guinea after visiting Mauritania, Cape Verde, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and São Tomé and Príncipe.^[6] The vessel deployed to the region again in 2021, and also visited as far south as Luanda, Angola.^[7]

References

1. Voytenko, Mikhail. "SPS VIGIA". Fleetmon. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
2. "Patrol Boat "VIGIA" (P-73)". Armada Defensa (Ministerio de Defenso). Retrieved 9 February 2023.
3. Tremlett, Giles (10 March 1995). "Spanish patrol boat to protect trawlers". UPI. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
4. "Spanish Navy's 'Vigía' Engages in Search and Rescue Op". Naval Today. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
5. "SPANISH NAVY PATROL VESSEL 'VIGIA' IS SEARCHING FOR A MISSING CREW MEMBER AFTER A FISHING BOAT SANK IN THE ALBORAN SEA". Armada Defensa (Ministerio de Defenso). 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
6. "Spanish offshore patrol vessel Vigía returns from Gulf of Guinea deployment". Naval Today. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
7. "Spanish Navy patrol vessel 'Vigía', deployed in the Gulf of Guinea, stops over in Angola". The Diplomat in Spain. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.