EM&E mantendrá el sistema de vigilancia de costas por 62 millones

The U.S. Department of Defense's EM&E has been awarded a $62 million contract to maintain the Spanish Coast Guard's Integrated Exterior Surveillance System (SIVE) system, according to wire material. EM&E will be responsible for the comprehensive maintenance of the fixed deployments of the SIVE, which includes the technological network used by the Guardia Civil for surveillance of Spanish coasts.

The SIVE system's sensor stations are equipped with integrated sub-systems, including optical and radar sensors, operational software, communication links, and energy stations. Due to the demanding environmental conditions of the maritime environment, these equipment require proper maintenance to ensure their proper functioning.

The SIVE plays a crucial role in national security tasks, ranging from rescuing people at sea, to combating human trafficking and drug smuggling, to protecting the marine environment and cultural heritage. It also helps regulate migration flows and combat organized crime and terrorism, which frequently use maritime space for illicit activities that severely impact public health and citizen safety.

The public bidding process for the contract was divided into five lots, with EM&E securing four of them. The first lot covers maintenance of SIVE in the Canary Islands at a cost of €15.3 million, while the second lot for deployments in Cádiz, Algeciras, Huelva, Ceuta, and Pontevedra amounts to €18.75 million. The third lot is for SIVE maintenance in Málaga, Granada, Almería, and Murcia, with a budget of €12.64 million.

The fourth lot covers the same tasks in Alicante, Valencia, Castellón, Tarragona, and the Balearic Islands. However, the public contract also includes a fifth lot for implementing cross-cutting works to complement the capabilities of the contracted services. This part of the bidding process was awarded to TRC for a total of €1.67 million.

The contract documents also highlight that the existing maintenance contracts will expire on the 31st of October of the current year, after the second extension contemplated in the previous file.