A synergic effort to save lives
While conducting an operational flight mission in the early morning of yesterday, Sunday 31st January, the Spanish air force aircraft VIGMA D-4 
detected a rubber boat in distress in International Waters north of Libyan coast.
The German corvette Ludwigshafen , following an Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre’s request, was then tasked to intervene with the support of the UK ship Enterprise resulting in the rescue of 134 migrants who where then transferred to an Italian Coast Guard vessel operating in the area.
Furthermore, the Spanish frigate Numancia transferred firstly by boat, and then with the embarked AB 212 helicopter , a migrant in need of medical assistance on board the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour .
EUNAVFOR MED operation SOPHIA , launched on the 22nd of June 2015,is part of a wider EU’s comprehensive approach to migration, tackling both current symptoms and root causes such as conflict, poverty, climate change and persecution.