• Immigration: The 15 immigrants from the Open Arms arrived in Italy by the Audacious Navy ship arrive in Cádiz
  • Politics: Congress beats the Government in the Open Arms debate

After weeks crammed into the improper, suffocating cover of the Open Arms, migrants transferred to the Bold must have felt in paradise ... aquatic. Without any spirit of frivolizing with a human drama - not humanitarian, a word semantically related only to the beneficial and gratifying - they have gone from the distressing to the comfortable.

The Audacious, fifth unit of a recent series of six called BAM ( Maritime Action Ships ), is, of course, a warship, not a floating hotel. But in the Spanish Navy it is what most resembles it. Equipped with a 76 mm gun, two 25 and two 12.7 Browning heavy machine guns, it is designed to, in solitude or in interaction with other ships and in scenarios of low and medium war intensity, cover a large number of tasks military

Thus: protection, escort and interdiction of other ships. Acquisition of intelligence. Infiltration and extraction of commands. Observation and monitoring of maritime traffic. Fight against piracy, drug trafficking and human trafficking. Control of marine pollution and monitoring of compliance with environmental and fisheries legislation, etc. Within those "etcetera", are those that concern us: response to crisis situations; rescue and rescue; NEO operations (evacuation of civilians) and, in general, humanitarian aid.

For a long time, the specifications of our Navy have placed special emphasis, as a duty of command, on the standards of habitability on ships. Of the quality of life at sea ( CAVIMAR ). Requirements even higher than those recommended by NATO regulations. And in none of our boats are those standards as high as in the BAM. The Audacious is a comfortable ship in its work and rest areas.

The Spanish Navy meets higher standards of habitability even than NATO

Of medium size (2,575 tons of displacement), between the patrol boat and the corvette, its dimensions should initially accommodate about 80 crew members. But it uses approximately half, because it is a very modern boat and, therefore, automated to the maximum that it needs little, although very specialized, personal. Its qualified endowment has enough space to function without the classic burdens of warships, examples of use of each square centimeter.

But, in addition, it is prepared for, in case of conflict, maneuvering or training, to carry up to 35 additional personnel on board: an Embarked Air Unit (UNAEMB), composed of a medium-sized helicopter and its flight and maintenance personnel. Also an Operational Safety Team (EOS), formed by a platoon of Marines, or, optionally, an estol (operational team) of the Special Naval War Force (FGNE), something like the Spanish SEALs.

In those facilities the 15 migrants landed in San Roque will have traveled, to which, as it were, there is plenty of space. When the vessel carries that maximum of 35 troops added on board in the classic disposition of an officer, six non-commissioned officers and 28 capes and seamen, the officer occupies a cabin. The noncommissioned officers are accommodated in three double-seaters. The sailor sleeps in seven four-seater beds. There is a toilet and a shower for every two beds. The only woman in the group of migrants from the Open Arms will surely have had her own individual space.

No ship conceived and designated also for eventual rescue and rescue missions may fail to house a medical unit. The one of the Audaz is of irreproachable quality. A hospital area that provides first aid care, advanced life support and, if necessary, stabilization for the subsequent evacuation of the patient or the injured. A telemedicine system capable of connecting to any hospital rounds the sanitary capabilities of one of the most advanced, efficient and model ships of our Marina.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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