Wednesday, November 15, 2023 - 10:36

The decision of the Spanish government to deploy its offshore patrol corvette P74 Atalaya to the Strait of Gibraltar signals more fireworks to come in the territorial waters around the Rock. This vessel in particular is already notorious for the number of incidents it has been involved in.

ESCALATION
The motivation behind the move of the warship to this area can never be established with certainty but the Spanish media point to an escalation of the eternal conflict with the Royal Navy in the seas around Gibraltar. This distraction is the last thing that this important waterway needs at this moment in time. All eyes should be on Ukraine and the presence of Russian, even Chinese, vessels in the area both on the surface of the sea and beneath it.