“We save the hostages and arrest the terrorists”

The platoon prepares to embark. His 12 men go to attack the ship A61 CarnotaA tug 66 meters in length which was in service for the Armed Forces since June 2024. The FGNE has authorized SPANISH to accompany him during the operation, a controlled but risky maneuver. “This approach constitutes one of the most dangerous operations“, explains Colonel Gonzalvo. “We start from a combat power that does not exist to control a large vessel, like a ship or a liner.”

There are real precedents. On May 23, a group of pirates from Somalia kidnapped in the waters of indian ocean a Liberian merchant ship named ‘Basil‘. On board a helicopter SH60-Fsoldiers of the Naval Special Warfare Force, who were on the neighboring frigate ‘Canary Islands‘, were deployed on the deck of the boat to help fast rope – that is, launching oneself on ropes from the air to the ship – and secured the device.

A few days ago, they arrested six other pirates who attacked a merchant ship in the Marshall Islandshe ‘Crystal Arctic“, and they arrested the criminals at Seychelles. Both operations were part of the Operation Atalanta of the European Union against piracy, in which they have participated for decades, and whose mission is to patrol by sea and air in the Gulf of Aden and stop possible corsairs and interrupt their sabotage.

“Over the past few years, our unit has developed different operations in the Indian Ocean. Among them, the ‘Kat’ tribalwhere a French hostage was rescued, Evelyne Colombo“Continues Gonzalvo as the first RIBs start their engines. This takes away from the epic nature of their feat, but it was an extremely complex and sensitive mission that involved both Spain I like France.

The catamaran they sailed on Christian Colombo and his wife were attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. They killed him; She ended up being kidnapped. He FGS BayernA frigate German, finds the abandoned ship, riddled with bullets and stained with blood, and gives the alarm.

48 hours later, the amphibious ship GaliciaSpanish brand, began the rescue operation. He took off from a helicopter SH3D on which a special operations troop of the FGNEthe 5th Squadron. In front was the captain of the time Rafael Lopez de Ancawho would later receive the Naval Merit Cross with a red badge and the French National Defense Gold Medal with other members of the estol.

La Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial disparó desde el aire al motor del buque somalí, en el cual iba Colombo. Lo inutilizaron. Los piratas conectaron un segundo propulsor, que volvió a ser destruido de un certero disparo en movimiento y a decenas de metros de altura desde el helicóptero. Coordinación impecable entre piloto y tirador. Tras un intenso intercambio de fuego, la FGNE hundió el esquife, redujo y detuvo a los piratas –tres de ellos resultaron heridos– y salvó a la ciudadana francesa.

“También hemos realizado operaciones de abordaje para liberar pesqueros y buques en el Mar Rojo y en el Índico. Actualmente participamos en la Operación Apoyo a Irak, en Bagdad, encuadrados en el Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) para el apoyo en la lucha contra el DAESH. Asimismo, realizamos operaciones de seguridad operativa con nuestros socios aliados en Mauritania, Senegal, Cabo Verde y en otros países del norte de África. Luchamos contra la piratería desde hace 15 años y, además, lideramos el Grupo de Operaciones Especiales Marítimo de la Allied Response Force de la OTAN. Si mañana hay una operación especial marítima, nos llaman a nosotros”.

Operativo de la FGNE

Las tres embarcaciones atraviesan la bahía de Cartagena en dirección a alta mar. Navegan a 60 kilómetros por hora, dejando tras de sí La Algameca y unas burbujeantes estelas blancas. El buque Carnota, hace 20 minutos una pequeña mácula grisácea en el horizonte, es ahora un gigantesco leviatán. En su interior aguardan varios voluntarios de la Armada que se han prestado para hacer de enemigos.

Dos de las semirrígidas se distancian de la nuestra y se colocan en la popa del remolcador. Comienza la aproximación. Casi en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, y con habilidad extraordinaria, el militar que conduce una de ellas coloca el aparato pegado al espejo del buque y, uno tras otro, los soldados saltan al Carnota.

“Es un abordaje con oposición”, explica el coronel. “El equipo de operaciones especiales se aproxima discretamente, toma el barco e inutiliza el puente y la sala de máquinas, entre otros espacios. Van cubierta por cubierta hasta capturar o detener a los objetivos enemigos y controlar la embarcación. La operación se lanza con toda la rapidez necesaria. Por supuesto, existe una planificación previa, pero los procedimientos son reservados. Es información confidencial. No podemos dar pistas al enemigo”.

Sin entrar en detalles comprometidos, el equipo de operaciones especiales de la Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial tarda entre 10 y 15 minutos en ‘limpiar’ las cubiertas superiores del Carnota y en ‘detener’ a la oposición. Acto seguido, vuelve a las pequeñas embarcaciones para realizar el segundo ejercicio, aún más difícil. Consiste en abordar el buque desde estribor, subiendo una pequeña escalinata de fibra de carbono que se lanza hacia un costado de la embarcación objetivo.

A alta velocidad, el piloto de nuestra semirrígida pega el morro al casco de estribor del Carnota y comienza la operación. “Este es un momento crítico, porque si el que maneja el timón del buque hace un movimiento brusco, todos nos vamos al agua“, sonríe uno de los subtenientes. Pero, gracias a Dios, tan inquietante advertencia no ocurre y, con fuerza sobrehumana, cargados de su armamento, cascos, protección y dispositivos electrónicos, los soldados de la FGNE escalan y abordan con éxito el remolcador por segunda vez.

Este tipo de misiones no son para cualquier soldado o marino. Quizás por eso los miembros de la FGNE tienen, como mínimo, dos horas de educación física obligatorias cada día. “Mandamos equipos muy pequeños, de unos 12 o 16 hombres, pero con capacidades muy grandes. Pueden asaltar desde un pesquero hasta un transatlántico, operarlos en un ambiente nocturno y realizar las operaciones con mala mar. Estamos preparados para el ámbito marítimo y terrestre. Hacemos buceo de combate con equipos de oxígeno, ataques a costa y operaciones reconocimiento hidrográfico o de profundidad en interior para la obtención de inteligencia“.

The FGNE is qualified to carry out all tasks related to Special Operations, both the main direct action, acknowledgement, special surveillance And military assistance like the supplement NEO Operations (those who move non-combatant personnel to a safe location), hostage rescue and other operations counter-insurgency And counterterrorism.

It’s not easy being part of a unit. In fact, there were years when the Navy I had to rule out all the candidates because they did not meet the requirements – physical and psychological – to wear the FGNE badge and swear by its motto. “They generally start with between 25 and 30 candidates, of which perhaps only four or sometimes none remain. The selection is very tough,” explains the colonel. “Our training period is the longest and most demanding of all FAS special units. The integration of personnel into the unit focuses on the existence of a vocation and in commitment to the service of Spain. “These are the most important characteristics for working here.”

Serenity and audacity

The Naval Special Warfare Force is a relatively new special operations unit. It was born in 2009 from the merger of the former Special Operations Unit (UOE) of the Tercio de Armada and the Special Combat Diver Unit (UEBC), also known as “Comandante Gorordo”. However, its roots go back 50 years, more precisely to 1952 and to the Company of Amphibious Climbers of Tercio Nord de Ferrol.

15 years after its creation, the FGNE is carrying out several operations abroad. Among them ATALANTEthe United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (FINAL) wave HISPANIOLA in Haiti. Its members are based in Cartagena because the special unit of combat divers was developed there and that is where the General Albacete Fuster Marine Infantry School like him Third of the Levant and the Navy Diving Center.

The proximity of the FGNE facilities to the submarine base, shooting ranges, varied terrain, beaches and a port like La Algameca – where the Navantia– greatly facilitates daily workout of this unit.

Its motto is Serenites and Audacia. “Serenitybecause we believe that to work in this unit you need special experience and knowledge that is only acquired over time,” adds Gonzalvo as the last soldiers descend the stairs to their boats. “Well, well on, audacitywhich is characteristic of all special operations units.

Their entire team wears patches with FGNE logos on their arms, regardless of which estol they belong to. We see a machete appearing on a blue and ocher background. The first, blue, evokes the sea; ocher, earth. The blade is the symbol of all special operations units. “The two crossed anchors represent the marine infantrybecause that is where we are integrated and the colors mean that we are ready to act from the sea or on land.

It is 6:00 p.m. and the saffron color of the sky announces the conclusion of the exercise. The unit, whose members are commonly called “Spanish Navy Seals‘, overflows onto the three black semi-rigid boats and heads towards the La Algameca quay. We have traveled so much that it will take us at least an hour to get there.

The sea is a little rough. A wave drenches the crew members, insensitive to the salt scourge. Once the operation is finished, they chat among themselves, one puts his arm on his shoulder brother weapons and approaches to make some confessions, the age comment with him second lieutenant tomorrow’s program; Already confident, the soldiers begin to remove their masks and reveal their faces.

In the distance emerges a periscope and, a few seconds later, a submarine spit water, floats and scares away a flock of seagulls. We disembark. Night is already falling, the last rays of the sun are reflected on the undulating marine velvet and the soldiers of the Special Naval Warfare Force place their helmets, their vests and their rifles in a gigantic hangar inside which, between rigging and nautical equipment , several tactical vehicles are resting, some of which Vamtac and cinnamon Neton.

Outside, in front of the quay, we hear chattering, laugh and healthy bites, there is a cigarette When lit, the echo brings a “tomorrow at 7 o’clock to run” and a distant shot on a shooting range; everyone leaves, the platform is now silent except for a distant horn, and the warriors of the high seas They are men again.