Vigilancia Aduanera adds a long-range patrol vessel to its fleet built by Rodman Polyships
The Tax Agency's new 43-metre-long vessel, with a range twice that of a traditional patrol boat, will carry out missions on the high seas and is equipped with two high-speed boarding shovels.
The Tax Agency now has a new multi-purpose offshore patrol vessel for the fight against drug trafficking. The commissioning of the 'Condor' patrol boat represents the introduction of a new vessel segment in the Customs Surveillance Service fleet with a vessel suitable for both coastal control tasks in one or several regions, as well as for short and medium range missions on the high seas.
The 'Cóndor' was sponsored in Moaña (Pontevedra) by the Secretary of State for the Treasury, Inés Bardón, during an inaugural ceremony held at the Rodman Polyships shipyard facilities, which was attended by the Director General of the Tax Agency, Jesús Gascón, the Government Delegate in Galicia, José Manuel Miñones, and representatives.
With a length of 43 metres, a maximum speed of 23 knots, a crew of up to 14 people and a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles which doubles that of a conventional patrol boat, the 'Condor' will offer great versatility in the naval operations of the fight against drug trafficking carried out by Customs Surveillance, given that it can provide service to the bases on coastal patrol covering large areas of the coastline, but will also have the capacity to carry out oceanic interceptions.
For this reason, and after a few months of operation in the Vigo area to guarantee its full operational conditions, it will be assigned to different reference bases during its useful life, depending on the service needs that exist at any given time. The 'Condor' takes its name from the 80s and 90s, when a series of camouflaged patrol boats were used by Customs Surveillance during a particularly intense period in the fight against drug trafficking in Spain.
This new patrol boat is now equipped with the most modern means of navigation and communications. It will be equipped with a state-of-the-art optronic system for detecting and tracking vessels, as well as a specific secure communications system. Two auxiliary vessels will transport the boarding crews from the ship to the boarding points. Similarly, in the event of humanitarian emergencies on the Spanish coasts, the 'Condor' has a system on board for collecting shipwrecked persons that includes the installation of collection areas close to the water level to facilitate rescue.s of the Customs Department and the Special Delegation of the AEAT in Galicia and regional and local authorities, as well as the State Security Forces and Corps.
Source: La Voz de Galicia