Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy (Spanish: Armada Española) is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path from East Asia to the Americas across the Pacific Ocean. The formerly "South Sea" was named Pacific Ocean by Fernando de Magallanes in 1520 because of the calm or "pacific" seas the expedition encountered.

For three centuries the Spanish Navy played a crucial defensive and logistical role within the Spanish Empire. It formed part of a vast trade network that sailed the Pacific from Asia to America and the Atlantic from America to Europe escorting the galleon convoys. The Spanish Navy was the most powerful maritime force in the world in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Wide-ranging reforms under the new Bourbon dynasty improved its logistical and military capacity in the 18th century, for much of which Spain possessed the world's third-largest navy and, by combining with the allied Marine royale, rivaled Britain for naval supremacy until Trafalgar.

As of 2013, the Armada has 37,400 personnel, and the total displacement of the navy is approximately 250,000 tons. The main bases of the Spanish Navy are located in Rota, El Ferrol, San Fernando and Cartagena.

Force Structure[edit | edit source]

Statistics[edit | edit source]

Active Duty Personnel: 37,400
Reserve Personnel: 16,000
Active Warships: 138
Aircraft:
Number of Bases: 4 (Cartagena, El Ferrol, Rota, San Fernando)
Commander in Chief: King Juan Carlos I
Chief of Naval Operations: Admiral Teodoro E. López Calderón

List of ships (Active, Under Construction, and Planned) of the Spanish Navy[edit | edit source]

Carlos III-class Aircraft Carrier (1) - 2016
- SPS Carlos III (R-21)
Galicia-class Landing Platform Dock (2) - 1998
- SPS Galicia (L-51)
- SPS Castilla (L-52)
LCM-1E-class Landing Craft (14) - 2001
- L-601
- L-602
- L-603
- L-604
- L-605
- L-606
- L-607
- L-608
- L-609
- L-610
- L-611
- L-612
- L-613
- L-614
Juan Carlos I-class Amphibious Assault Ship (1) - 2010
- SPS Juan Carlos I (L-61)
Santa Maria-class (Modified Oliver Hazard Perry class) Guided Missile Frigate (6) - 1986
- SPS Santa Maria (F-81)
- SPS Victoria (F-82)
- SPS Numancia (F-83)
- SPS Reina Sofia (F-84)
- SPS Navarra (F-85)
- SPS Canarias (F-86)
Buenaventura-class Guided Missile Frigate (8) - 1995
- SPS Buenaventura (F-91)
- SPS Concordia (F-92)
- SPS Edetana (F-93)
- SPS Valiente (F-94)
- SPS Prosperidad (F-95)
- SPS Animosa (F-96)
- SPS Vigilante (F-97)
- SPS Constancia (F-98)
Alvaro de Bazan-class Guided Missile Frigate (7) - 2002
- SPS Álvaro de Bazán (F-101)
- SPS Almirante Juan de Borbón (F-102)
- SPS Blas de Lezo (F-103)
- SPS Méndez Núñez (F-104)
- SPS Roger de Lauria (F-105)
- SPS Juan de Austria (F-106)
- SPS Cristobal Colón (F-107)
Bonifaz-class Frigate (6 planned) - 2023
- SPS Bonifaz (F111) - planned for construction
- SPS Juan Martínez de Recalde (F112) - planned for construction
- SPS Menéndez de Avilés (F113) - planned for construction
- SPS Luis de Córdova (F114) - planned for construction
- SPS Barceló (F115) - planned for construction
- SPS Juan de Lángara (F116) - planned for construction
Descubierta-class Corvette (6) - 1980
- SPS Descubierta (K-31)
- SPS Diana (K-32)
- SPS Infanta Elena (K-33)
- SPS Infanta Cristina (K-34)
- SPS Cazadora (K-35)
- SPS Vencedora (K-36)
Galerna-class (Agosta class) Attack Submarine (4) - 1983
- SPS Galerna (S-71)
- SPS Siroco (S-72)
- SPS Mistral (S-73)
- SPS Tramontana (S-74)
Isaac Peral-class Hunter Killer Submarine (6 UC) - 2018
- SPS Isaac Peral (S-81) - fitting out
- SPS Narciso Monturiol (S-82) - fitting out
- SPS Cosme Garcia (S-83) - under construction
- SPS Mateo García de los Reyes (S-84) - under construction
- SPS Carles Buigas (S-85) - planned for construction
- SPS Julio Cervera Baviera (S-86) - planned for construction
Castor-class Hydrographic Survey Vessel (1) - 1974
- SPS Antares (A-23)
Malaespina-class Hydrographic Survey Vessel (2) - 1975
- SPS Malaespina (A-31)
- SPS Tofiño (A-32)
Circos-class Tugboat (1) - 1981
- SPS Mahón (A-51)
Modified Circos-class Oceanographic Research Vessel (1) - 1981
- SPS La Palmas (A-52)
Contramaestre Casado-class Transport Vessel (1) - 1982
- SPS Contramaestre Casado (A-01)
Guardiamarina-class Training Vessel (4) - 1983
- SPS Contramaestre Navarrete (A-82)
- SPS Contramaestre Sánchez Fernández (A-83)
- SPS Contramaestre Antero (A-84)
- SPS Contramaestre Lamadrid (A-85)
Punta Amer-class Tugboat (1) - 1987
- SPS La Graña (A-53)
Amatista-class Salvage and Rescue Vessel (1) - 1988
- SPS Neptuno (A-20)
Amatista-class Tugboat (1) - 1988
- SPS Mar Caribe (A-101)
Hespérides-class Oceanographic Research Vessel (1) - 1991
- SPS Hespérides (A-33)
Marques de la Ensenada-class Small Fleet Oiler (1) - 1991
- SPS Marques de la Ensenada (A-11)
Darss-class Electronic Warfare Vessel (1) - 1992
- SPS Alerta (A-111)
Patiño-class Replenishment Oiler (1) - 1995
- SPS Patiño (A-14)
El Camino Español-class Ro-Ro Vessel (1) - 1999
- SPS El Camino Español (A-05)
Martín Posadillo-class Ro-Ro Vessel (1) - 2000
- SPS Martín Posadillo (A-04)
Astrolabio-class Transportable Hydrographic Survey Boat (2) - 2001
- SPS Astrolabio (A-91)
- SPS Escandallo (A-92)
Rodman 66-class Training Vessel (4) - 2006
- SPS Guardiamarina Barrutia (A-121)
- SPS Guardiamarina Chereguini (A-122)
- SPS Guardiamarina Rull (A-123)
- SPS Guardiamarina Salas (A-124)
Cantabria-class Replenishment Oiler (1) - 2010
- SPS Cantabria (A-15)
Sondaleza-class Transportable Hydrographic Survey Boat (1) - 2016
- SPS Sondaleza (A-93)
Segura-class Mine hunter (6) - 1999
- SPS Segura (M-31)
- SPS Sella (M-32)
- SPS Tambre (M-33)
- SPS Turia (M-34)
- SPS Duero (M-35)
- SPS Tajo (M-36)
- SPS Nervión (M-37)
- SPS Guadalete (M-38)
Anaga-class Patrol Boat (10) - 1980
- SPS Anaga (P-21)
- SPS Tagomago (P-22)
- SPS Marola (P-23)
- SPS Mouro (P-24)
- SPS Grosa (P-25)
- SPS Medas (P-26)
- SPS Izaro (P-27)
- SPS Tabarca (P-28)
- SPS Deva (P-29)
- SPS Bergantín (P-30)
Toralla-class Patrol Boat (2) - 1987
- SPS Toralla (P-81)
- SPS Formentor (P-82)
Serviola-class Patrol Boat (4) - 1991
- SPS Serviola (P-71)
- SPS Centinela (P-72)
- SPS Vigía (P-73)
- SPS Atalaya (P-74)
Chilreu-class Patrol Vessel (4) - 1992
- SPS Chilreu (P-61)
- SPS Alborán (P-62)
- SPS Arnomendi (P-63)
- SPS Tarifa (P-64)
Meteoro-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (6,3 planned) - 2011
- SPS Meteoro (P-41)
- SPS Rayo (P-42)
- SPS Relámpago (P-43)
- SPS Tornado (P-44)
- SPS Audaz (P-45)
- SPS Furor (P-46)
- SPS Unnamed (P-47) - under construction
- SPS Unnamed (P-48) - under construction
- SPS Unnamed (P-49) - planned for construction

Aircraft Inventory[edit | edit source]

Fixed Wing Aircraft[edit | edit source]

McDonnell-Douglas EAV-8B Matador x 18 (Attack Aircraft)
Cessna Citation II x 4 (Utility/Transport Aircraft)
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II x 0 (Multirole Fighter) - 36 on order

Rotorcraft[edit | edit source]

Agusta-Bell AB-212 x 7 (Utility Helicopter)
McDonnell-Douglas MD500 Defender x 6 (Trainer Helicopter)
NHIndustries NH90 NFH x 7 (Maritime Helicopter)
SH-3H/SH-3H AEW x 10 (AEW/ASW Helicopter)
Sikorsky SH-60B/F Seahawk x 18 (Maritime Helicopter)