Spanish Navy
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2022) |
Spanish Navy | ||
---|---|---|
Armada Española | ||
Founded | 15th century | |
Country | Spain | |
Type | Navy | |
Size | 20,838 personnel (2016)[2] 139 ships[3] 54 aircraft[4] | |
Part of | Spanish Armed Forces | |
Garrison/HQ | Headquarters:
Main naval bases:
| |
Patron | Trainer McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II | |
Transport | Cessna Citation |
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the
The Spanish Navy was one of the most powerful maritime forces in the world from the late 15th century to the mid 17th century. In the early 19th century, with the
The main bases of the Spanish Navy are at
History
Origins: the Middle Ages
The roots of the modern Spanish Navy date back to before the unification of Spain. By the late
Castile meanwhile used its naval capacities to conduct its
In the 15th century, Castile entered into a race of exploration with Portugal, the country that inaugurated the European Age of Discovery. In 1492, two caravels and a carrack, commanded by Christopher Columbus, arrived in America, on an expedition that sought a westward oceanic passage across the Atlantic, to the Far East. This began the era of trans-oceanic trade routes, pioneered by the Spanish in the seas to the west of Europe and the Portuguese to the east.
The Habsburg era
Following the discovery of America and the settlement of certain Caribbean islands, such as
After the unification of its kingdoms under the
At the Battle of Lepanto (1571), the Holy League, formed by Spain, Venice, the Papal States and other Christian allies, inflicted a great defeat on the Ottoman Navy, stopping Muslim forces from gaining uncontested control of the eastern Mediterranean.
In the 1580s, the conflict in the Netherlands drew England into war with Spain, creating a further menace to Spanish shipping. The effort to neutralise this threat led to a disastrous attempt to invade England in 1588, however, the disaster of the English Armada the following year managed to return the balance between the belligerents. The defeat of 1588 led to a reform of fleet operations. The navy at this time was not a single operation but consisted of various fleets, made up mainly of armed merchantmen with escorts of royal ships. The Armada fiasco marked a turning point in naval warfare, where gunnery was now more important than ramming and boarding and so Spanish ships were equipped with purpose built naval guns. During the 1590s, the expansion of these fleets allowed a great increase in overseas trade and a massive increase in the importation of luxuries and silver. Nevertheless, inadequate port defences allowed an Anglo-Dutch force to raid Cádiz in 1596, and though unsuccessful in its objective of capturing the silver from the just returned convoy, was able to inflict great damage upon the city. Port defences at Cádiz were upgraded and all attempts to repeat the attack in the following centuries would fail.
Meanwhile, Spanish ships were able to step up operations in the English Channel, the North Sea and towards Ireland. They were able to capture many enemy ships, merchant and military, in the early decades of the 17th century and provide military supplies to Spanish armies in France and the Low Countries and to Irish rebels in Ireland. In the early 17th century Spanish fleets inflicted major defeats on Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Cape Corvo and Cape Celidonia. These battles stabilised the situation on the eastern Mediterranean front. However, in 1639, a Dutch fleet under Maarten Tromp decisively defeated a large Spanish fleet in the Battle of the Downs and put an end to Spanish operations in northern waters.
By the middle of the 17th century, Spain had been drained by the vast strains of the
By the time of the wars of the
The Bourbon era
The War of the Spanish Succession arose after the establishment on the Spanish throne of a
Attempting to reverse the losses of the previous war, in the
During the
Joining France against Britain near the end of the
Having initially opposed France in the
The 19th century
The 1820s saw the loss of most of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. With the empire greatly reduced in size and Spain divided and unstable after its own war of independence, the navy lost its importance and shrank greatly.
The first new steam-driven vessel (Isabel II) was purchased from the United Kingdom in 1834.
However, in the 1850s and 1860s, particularly under the prime-ministership of
The 1890s saw the Spanish Navy gain several
During the
At the end of the 19th century, the Spanish Navy adopted the
The 20th and 21st centuries
During the
The Spanish Republic and Spanish Civil War
In 1931, following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic, the Navy of the Spanish Kingdom became the Spanish Republican Navy. Admiral Aznar's casual comment: "Do you think it was a little thing what happened yesterday, that Spain went to bed as a monarchy and rose as a republic" became instantly famous, going quickly around Madrid and around Spain, making people accept the fact and setting a more relaxed mood.[7] The Spanish Republican Navy introduced a few changes in the flags and ensigns, as well as in the navy officer rank insignia.[8] The executive curl (La coca) was replaced by a golden five-pointed star and the royal crown of the brass buttons and of the officers' breastplates (La gola) became a mural crown.
The Spanish Republican Navy became divided after the coup of July 1936 that led to the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). The fleet's two small dreadnoughts, one heavy cruiser, one large destroyer and half a dozen submarines and auxiliary vessels were lost in the course of the conflict.
World War II
Like the rest of the Spanish armed forces, the Spanish Francoist Navy maintained Francisco Franco's policy of neutrality during World War II.
Post World War II
Since the mid-20th century, the Spanish Navy began a process of reorganization to once again become one of the major navies of the world. After the development of the
The Armada's
Armada officers receive their education at the
- Militar de Complemento: Similar to the U.S. ROTCprogram, students are college graduates who enroll in the navy. They spend a year at the Naval Academy and then are commissioned as ensigns and Marine second lieutenants. This path is growing in prestige. Their career stops at the rank of commander (for the Navy) and for the Marines, lieutenant colonel.
- Militar de Carrera: Students spend one year in the Naval Academy if they apply to the Supply Branch or the Engineering Branch, and five years if they apply as General Branch or Marines, receiving a university degree-equivalent upon graduation and being commissioned as ensigns and Marine second lieutenants.
Current status
Spanish Navy |
---|
Components |
Spanish Navy Marines Special Operations |
History |
History of the Armada Future of the Armada |
Ships |
Current Fleet Future ships Historic ships |
Personnel |
Officer naval academy Officer ranks of the Armada |
Subordinate to the Spanish Chief of Naval Staff, stationed in Madrid, are four area commands: the Cantabrian Maritime Zone with its headquarters at
Until February 2013, when it was decommissioned because of budget cuts,
As of 2012[update], the Armada has a strength of 20,800 personnel.[11]
Infantería de Marina
The Infantería de Marina is the marine infantry of the Spanish Navy, and the oldest marine corps in existence in the world. It has a strength of 11,500 troops and is divided into base defense forces and landing forces. One of the three base defense battalions is stationed with each of the Navy headquarters. "Groups" (midway between battalions and regiments) are stationed in Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The
Equipment
Ships and submarines
As of 2018, there are approximately 138 vessels in service within the Navy, including minor auxiliary vessels. A breakdown includes an
Aircraft
The Spanish Naval Air Arm constitutes the naval aviation branch of the Spanish Navy.
Type | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II | UK | Jet | Multi-role | 1987 | 11[13] | Including 1 TAV-8B double-seat trainer | |
Cessna Citation | USA | Jet | Utility | 4 | |||
NHI NH90 | Europe | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2024 | NH-90 MSPT | 7 on order | |
Airbus Helicopters H135
|
Europe | Rotorcraft | Trainer | 2023 | H135 | 2 | 7 on order[14] |
Agusta-Bell AB 212+
|
Italy | Rotorcraft | Utility | 1989 | 7 | Retire scheduled for July 31, 2024 | |
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | USA | Rotorcraft | ASW | 1988 | SH-60B | 12 | |
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | USA | Rotorcraft | Transport | 2020 | SH-60F | 8 | Configure for ASW, use for transport only[15] |
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | USA | Rotorcraft | ASW/ASuW/Transport | 2025 | MH-60R | 8 on order, to replace SH-60B |
Ranks and insignia
The officer ranks of the Spanish Navy are as follows below, (for a comparison with other NATO ranks, see
- Officers
NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Spanish Navy[16] |
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Capitán general | Almirante general
|
Almirante | Vicealmirante | Contralmirante | Capitán de navío
|
Capitán de fragata | Capitán de corbeta | Teniente de navío | Alférez de navío | Alférez de fragata |
- Enlisted
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Spanish Navy[16] |
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Suboficial mayor
|
Subteniente | Brigada | Sargento primero | Sargento | Cabo mayor | Cabo primero | Cabo | Marinero de primera | Marinero |
The article Spanish Marine Infantry includes the rank insignia descriptions for this part of the Navy.
Organization
The Spanish Navy shares the organization model of its two sister services – the Spanish Army and the Spanish Air and Space Force. Each of them consists of a Headquarters (Cuartel general), a Force (Fuerza, composed of the operational units) and a Force Support (Apoyo a la fuerza, composed of administration, logistical and training units). For historical traditions the Force of the Spanish Navy is called Fleet (Flota) and the two terms are used interchangeably. At the head of the Navy is an Almirante general (a four-star rank reserved for the Chief of the Spanish Navy and the Chief of the Spanish Armed Forces, when the latter position is held by a naval officer), denominated AJEMA or Admiral Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (Almirante Jefe de Estado Mayor de la Armada). Counterintuitive to this official designation he holds authority over all three components of the service and the officer, who actually functions as Chief of Staff is a three-star Almirante, designated Admiral Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (Almirante Segundo Jefe del Estado Mayor de la Armada or 2º AJEMA)
Admiral Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (AJEMA)
- Navy Headquarters – Admiral Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (2º AJEMA) (in Madrid)
- General Staff of the Navy
- Office of the Admiral Chief of the General Staff of the Navy
- Department of General Services, Technical Assistance and Signals and Telecommunication Systems
- Naval Cultural and Historical Office
- Legal Service of the Navy Headquarters
- Central Internal Audit Service of the Navy
- Central Maritime (Naval) Tribunal
- Fleet – Admiral of the Fleet (ALFLOT)
- Fleet Command (Mando de la Flota, in the "Almirante Rodríguez Martín-Granizo" Complex at Rota Naval Base)
- Naval Action Force – Admiral of Naval Action (ALNAV) (at the La Graña Naval Station, Ferrol)
- Naval Action Group 1 (at the La Graña Naval Station, Ferrol)[17]
- 31st Escort Squadron (at Ferrol)
- 5 AEGIS Frigates (Álvaro de Bazán class). 6,250 tons.
- 41st Escort Squadron (at Rota Naval Base)
- 6 Frigates (Santa María class). 4,017 tons
- 1 Replenishment ship Patiño (at Ferrol). 17,045 tons
- 1 Replenishment ship Cantabria (at Ferrol). 19,500 tons
- 31st Escort Squadron (at Ferrol)
- Naval Action Group 2 (at Rota Naval Base)
- 1 LHD Juan Carlos I (L61). 27,079 Tons.
- 2 LPD Galicia-classlanding platform docks. 13,818 tons
- Beachmaster Group, including LCM-1E landing craft
- Naval Action Group 1 (at the La Graña Naval Station, Ferrol)[17]
- Naval Maritime Force – Admiral of Maritime Action (ALMART) , at Cartagena Naval Arsenal
- Canary Islands Naval Command – Admiral of the Canary Islands (ALCANAR) , at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Naval Arsenal)
- Canary Patrol Craft Unit
- Canary Diving Unit
- support units
- Naval Commandancy of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Naval Commandancy of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Cádiz Naval Action Command – Naval Commandant of Cádiz, at Puntales Naval Station, Cádiz
- Alborán Naval Detachment (of patrol craft and tow boats)
- Cádiz Diving Unit
- Naval Commandancy of Cádiz
- Ferrol Naval Action Command – Naval Commandant of Ferrol, at Ferrol Naval Base
- Ferrol Naval Detachment
- Ferrol Diving Unit
- Naval Commandancy of Ferrol
- Cartagena Naval Action Command – Naval Commandant of Cartagena, at Cartagena Naval Arsenal
- Cartagena Naval Detachment
- Naval Commandancy of Cartagena
- Balearic Islands Naval Sector – Naval Commandant of the Balearic Islands, at Porto Pi Naval Station, Palma de Mallorca
- Naval Commandancy of Palma
- Naval Commandancy of Mahón
- Naval Commandancy of Ibiza
- Mine Counter-Measures Force – Commandant of the MCM Force, at the Cartagena Naval Arsenal
- MCM command ship Diana
- 1st MCM Squadron – 6 Minehunters M-30 (Segura class). 585 tons
- MCM Diving Unit
- Support Force
- Naval Diving Center, at Algameca Naval Station, Cartagena
- Sector Naval de Baleares
- Canary Islands Naval Command – Admiral of the Canary Islands (ALCANAR) , at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Naval Arsenal)
- Marine Infantry Force – Commandant General of Naval Infantry (COMGEIM) , at San Fernando, Cádiz
- Naval Expeditionary Force (Tercio de la Armada (TEAR))
- Naval Infantry Brigade (BIM) , at San Fernando, Cádiz
- Protection Force (Fuerza de Protección)
- Marine Infantry Madrid Detachment (Agrupación de Infantería de Marina de Madrid (AGRUMAD)) – Naval HQ security unit
- Northern Battalion (Tercio del Norte (TERNOR)) – Nuestra Señora de los Dolores Barracks, Ferrol
- Southern Battalion (Tercio del Sur (TERSUR)) – San Fernando and Rota Naval Base
- Eastern Battalion (Tercio de Levante (TERLEV)) – Cartagena Naval Arsenal
- Security Unit of the Canary Islands Naval Command (Unidad de Seguridad del Mando Naval de Canarias (USCAN)) – Las Palmas
- Naval Special Warfare Force(FGNE) , at Algameca Naval Station, Cartagena
- Naval Expeditionary Force (Tercio de la Armada (TEAR))
- Submarine Flotilla (FLOSUB), at Cartagena Naval Arsenal
- Flotilla Command
- 3 Submarines S-70 Galerna (Agosta class). 1,740 tons
- 4 AIP submarines (S-80 class). (Under construction) 3,426 tons
- Submarine Base
- Training Section
- Tactical Submarine Programs Center
- Aircraft Flotilla (FLOAN), at Rota Naval Base
- Flotilla Command
- 3rd Flying Squadron – Agusta-Bell 212
- 4th Flying Squadron – Cessna Citation liaison aircraft
- 5th Flying Squadron – Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King
- 6th Flying Squadron – Hughes 500MD
- 9th Flying Squadron – McDonnell Douglas AV/TAV-8B+ Harrier II
- 10th Flying Squadron – Sikorsky SH-60B/F Seahawk
- 11th Flying Squadron – Boeing Insitu ScanEagle
- Carrier Air Group – aircraft detached from the flying squadrons
- Simulation Center
- Aircraft Maintenance Center
- General Support Units
- Fleet Command (Mando de la Flota, in the "Almirante Rodríguez Martín-Granizo" Complex at
- Force Support
- Department of Personnel – Admiral in Charge of Personnel (AJEPER) , in Cádiz
- Logistic Support Department – Admiral in Charge of Logistic Support (AJAL) , in Cádiz
- Directorate of Economic Affairs – Director of Economic Affairs, Quartermaster Major General (DEA) , in Madrid
- TOTAL Tons Main Vessels: 233,596 Tons
Preserved ships
Most of the few retired Spanish Navy ships preserved as museum ships are submarines:
- Submarine Peral of 1888 is preserved in Cartagena (Murcia).
- Two units of the Foca class: SA-41 in Mahón (Balearic Islands) and SA-42 in Cartagena (Murcia).
- Two units of the Tiburón class: the SA-51 in Barcelona (Catalonia) and the SA-52 in Cartagena (Murcia).
- Delfín (S-61), of the Daphné class (S-60) is moored in Torrevieja (Province of Alicante, Valencian Community). Unlike the other submarines, it is not anchored on land but moored in the port, thus becoming the first "floating museum" of its kind in Spain.
- The Customs Surveillance Service patrol car Albatros III is also preserved in Torrevieja.
- Galatea, a barque that was a training ship for the Spanish Navy between 1922 and 1982, is preserved in Glasgow (Scotland, United Kingdom).
See also
- Salve Marinera
- Coats of arms, badges and emblems of Spanish Armed Forces#Navy
- List of retired Spanish Navy ships
- List of future Spanish Navy ships
Notes
References
- ^ Española, Armada. "Armada Española – Ministerio de Defensa – Gobierno de España". www.armada.mde.es. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ^ "España Hoy 2016-2016". lamoncloa.gob.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- ^ "LISTA OFICIAL DE BUQUES DE LA ARMADA". Spanish Navy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ "AERONAVES MILITARES ESPAÑOLAS". aeronavesmilitaresespanolas.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ Riddle, John M. (2016). A History of the Middle Ages, 300–1500. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 459.
- from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ Gabriel Cardona, El Problema Militar en España, Ed. Historia 16, Madrid 1990, pp. 158–159
- ^ Spanish Navy. "Armada Española – Ministerio de Defensa – Gobierno de España". mde.es. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ "Defensa Antimisil Meroka". Foro Militar General (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2010.
- ^ "The Principe De Asturias Will Be Decommissioned Today". Murcia Today. 2 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ "Presupuesto del Ministerio de Defensa" (PDF). October 2012. p. 454. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 January 2013.
- ^ es:Armada Española#La Armada hoy
- ^ Trelles, Gastón (2 April 2024). "A la espera del caza F-35: la Armada podrá volar sus Harrier desde el buque Juan Carlos I hasta 2030, gracias a EEUU". Infobae. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Spanish Ministries of Defence and Interior sign for 36 H135s". Airbus. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "MH-60R Seahawk: this is the new multi-mission helicopter that the Spanish Navy will receive". defenseandaviation.info. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Army Ranks & Insignia". Ejército de Tierra. Ministry of Defence (Spain). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ Española, Armada. "Bienvenida – Grupo de Acción Naval 1 – Organización – Armada Española – Ministerio de Defensa – Gobierno de España". www.armada.mde.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
External links
- Official website (in Spanish)
- http://www.todoababor.es (Spanish Naval History)
- History of Spanish Mariners
- http://www.revistanaval.com
- http://www.losbarcosdeeugenio.com/principal_es.html
- El Arma Submarina Española (unofficial website)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20070514165145/http://www.fotosdebarcos.com/ (Spanish Navy Section, see Armada Española with all kind of Spanish navy ships)
- Spanish Navy page on Andrew Toppan's Haze Gray and Underway
- Spain Plans to Upgrade Navy's Projection Group
- Foro Militar General (unofficial forum)
- Warships of the Spanish Civil War
- BUQUESDEGUERRA.TK, Spanish website about warships