Spanish Air Force in mass migrant rescue
A D-4 crew spotted six boats carrying a total of around 400 migrants.
On 24 January, the 48 Wing of the Spanish Air Force deployed a D-4 plane (a CASA CN-235) assigned to Detachment Grappa from Naval Air Station Sigonella to undertake a reconnaissance and surveillance mission over the central Mediterranean Sea. After several hours of intensive searching, six inflatable boats were located with around 400 migrants onboard.
After the sighting, the D-4 crew reported the boats’ position to naval assets taking part in Operation Sophia, the European Union’s mission against human trafficking in the Mediterranean, which was formerly known as EUNAVFOR Med. Naval vessels immediately responded and were able to locate and rescue the migrants.
The Spanish Air Force stated that the incident underlined the role of air assets in Operation Sophia with regards to preserving life and contributing to the fight against human trafficking.