Brigada Canarias launches ground surveillance operation in Tenerife from 7 July

The Tactical Sub-group Bravo of Infantry Regiment «Tenerife» No. 49, part of the Brigada «Canarias» XVI (BRICAN XVI), is beginning a presence and surveillance deployment across Tenerife from 7 July. According to the Mando de Canarias of the Ejército de Tierra, the operation forms part of the Armed Forces' standing operations and is aimed at reinforcing the security of national sovereign territory.

According to information released, the deployment is intended to improve environmental surveillance, deter potential threats and maintain the response capacity of units stationed on the island. Sources confirm that the activity is taking place in peacetime and is not linked to any specific emergency, immediate security alert or crisis.

What standing operations are

Standing operations are surveillance and presence activities carried out on a continuous basis by the Armed Forces across various areas of national security interest. In the ground domain, they include patrols, reconnaissance missions and coordination with the relevant civilian and military authorities.

According to the Mando de Canarias, these activities form part of the broader framework of Permanent Operations, described as one of the Armed Forces' principal contributions to National Security in peacetime, with the aim of underscoring the commitment to the «comprehensive defence of the territory and the capacity for anticipation».

Beyond their on-the-ground presence duties, the deployment also allows military personnel to deepen their knowledge of Tenerife's geography and social landscape, as well as to foster the integration of forces into the local community and strengthen the bond between the Armed Forces and the public, according to information released by the Ejército de Tierra.

Command and coordination

Lieutenant General Julio Salom, head of the Mando de Canarias of the Ejército de Tierra, also serves as commander of the Mando Operativo Terrestre (CMOT). In that role, he is responsible for planning presence and surveillance operations not only in the Canary Islands, but also in Ceuta, Melilla and the Balearic Islands, maintaining coordination with the relevant civilian and military authorities.

Infantry Regiment «Tenerife» 49 is a unit based on the island and integrated into the Brigada «Canarias» XVI. In the planned deployment, its personnel will carry out ground presence duties, reconnaissance and surveillance.

A separate operation from the wildfire prevention campaign

This ground surveillance operation is distinct from the military wildfire prevention deployment also taking place in Tenerife this summer. On 14 April 2026, the Ministerio de Defensa and the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife renewed, for the third consecutive year, their collaboration agreement for wildfire prevention covering the 2026 campaign, which runs from 1 July to 30 September. The agreement was published in the BOE under Resolution 420/38241/2026, having been signed on 29 April 2026.

That campaign — referred to in various sources as «Operación Centinela Canario», «Operación Centinela Tinerfeño» and «Operación Prometeo 2026» — involves units from the Brigada «Canarias» XVI, the Unidad de Cuartel General del Mando de Canarias and the Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra VI (BHELMA VI). A total of 920 patrols are planned over the campaign's 92 days, with up to ten ground patrols daily, and this year the operation incorporates Ejército de Tierra drones for aerial surveillance.

According to official information, the tasks assigned to those patrols include maintaining a deterrent presence, providing early warning to firefighting services about outbreaks and active fires, and notifying the Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad del Estado of the presence of individuals who may be involved in deliberate fire-setting. That deployment is coordinated with the Unidades Forestales del Cabildo de Tenerife, the Guardia Civil, the Cecopin and other emergency services.