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| 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 | Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Spanish:Nuestra Señora del Carmen) |
| March | Himno de la Escuela Naval (José María Pemán) |
| Anniversaries | 16 July |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander in Chief |  King Felipe VI |
| Admiral Chief of the Naval Staff |  Admiral general Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez |
| Insignia | |
| Jack |  |
| Ensign |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | McDonnell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II+ |
| Fighter | McDonnell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II+ |
| Helicopter | Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk |
| Cargo helicopter | Sikorsky SH-60F Seahawk |
| Multirole helicopter | Agusta Bell AB-212+ |
| Trainer helicopter | Airbus H135 |
| Reconnaissance | Boeing Institu ScanEagle |
| Trainer | McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II |
| Transport | Cessna Citation |
TheSpanish Navy, officially theArmada, is themaritime branch of theSpanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, the most famous being thediscovery of North America and thefirst global circumnavigation. For several centuries, it played a crucial logistical role in the expansion and consolidation of theSpanish Empire, and defended a vast trade network across the Atlantic Ocean between theAmericas and Europe, and theManila Galleon across the Pacific Ocean between thePhilippines and the Americas.
The Spanish Navy was one of the most powerful maritime forces in the world from the late 15th century to mid-18th century.[5] In the early 19th century, with theloss of most of its empire, the Spanish navy transitioned to a smaller fleet but it still maintained a significant shipbuilding capability and produced the first fully capablemilitary submarine. In this time, the Spanish navy also contributed to the development of thedestroyer class of warship and achieved the first global circumnavigation by anironclad vessel.
The main bases of the Spanish Navy are atRota,Ferrol,San Fernando andCartagena.
The roots of the modern Spanish Navy date back to before the unification of Spain. By the lateMiddle Ages, the two principal kingdoms that would later combine to form Spain,Aragon andCastile, had developed powerful fleets. Aragon possessed the third largest navy in the late medieval Mediterranean, although its capabilities were exceeded by those ofVenice and (until overtaken in the 15th century by those of Aragon)Genoa. In the 14th and 15th centuries, these naval capabilities enabled Aragon to assemble the largest collection of territories of any European power in the Mediterranean, encompassing theBalearics, Sardinia,Sicily, southern Italy and, briefly, theDuchy of Athens.
Castile meanwhile used its naval capacities to conduct itsReconquista operations against theMoors, capturingCádiz in 1232 and also to help the French Crown against England in theHundred Years' War. In 1375, a Castilian fleet destroyed a large English fleet at Bourgneuf, and Castilian ships raided the English coast. As Castile developed long-lasting trade relationships with towns in theLow Countries of the Netherlands andFlanders, theEnglish Channel virtually became the "Spanish Channel."[6] In 1402, a Castilian expedition led byJuan de Bethencourt conquered theCanary Islands forHenry III of Castile. In 1419, the Castiliansdefeated the GermanHanseatic League at sea and excluded them from theBay of Biscay.
In the 15th century, Castile entered into a race of exploration withPortugal, the country that inaugurated the EuropeanAge of Discovery. In 1492, twocaravels and acarrack, commanded byChristopher 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.
Following the discovery of America and the settlement of certain Caribbean islands, such asCuba, SpanishconquistadorsHernán Cortés andFrancisco Pizarro were carried by the Spanish Navy to the mainland, where they conqueredMexico andPeru respectively. The navy also carried explorers to the North American mainland, includingJuan Ponce de León andÁlvarez de Pineda, who discovered Florida (1519) andTexas (1521) respectively. In 1519, Spain sent out the first expedition ofworld circumnavigation in history, which was put in the charge of the Portuguese CommanderFerdinand Magellan. Following the death of Magellan in thePhilippines, the expedition was completed under the command ofJuan Sebastián Elcano in 1522. In 1565, a follow-on expedition byMiguel López de Legazpi was carried by the navy fromNew Spain (Mexico) to the Philippines viaGuam to establish theSpanish East Indies, a base for trade with theOrient. For two and a half centuries, theManila galleons operated across the Pacific linkingManila andAcapulco. Until the early 17th century, the Pacific Ocean was dominated by the Spanish Navy. Aside from theMarianas andCaroline Islands, several naval expeditions also discovered theTuvalu archipelago, theMarquesas, theSolomon Islands andNew Guinea in the South Pacific. In the quest forTerra Australis, Spanish explorers in the 17th century also discovered thePitcairn andVanuatu archipelagos. Most significantly, from 1565 Spanish fleets explored and colonised the Philippine archipelago, the Spanish East Indies.
After the unification of its kingdoms under theHouse of Habsburg, Spain maintained two largely separate fleets, one consisting chiefly ofgalleys for use in the Mediterranean and the other of sailing ships for the Atlantic, successors to the Aragonese and Castilian navies respectively. This arrangement continued until superseded by the decline of galley warfare during the 17th century. The completion of theReconquista with the conquest of theKingdom of Granada in 1492 had been followed by naval expansion in the Mediterranean, where Spain seized control of almost every significant port along the coast ofNorth Africa west ofCyrenaica, notablyMelilla (captured 1497),Mers El Kébir (1505),Oran (1509),Algiers (1510) andTripoli (1510), which marked the furthest point of this advance. However, the hinterlands of these ports remained under the control of their Muslim andBerber inhabitants, and the expanding naval power of theOttoman Empire brought about a major Islamic counter-offensive, which embroiled Spain in decades of intense warfare for control of the Mediterranean.[a] The war saw cooperation with theRepublic of Genoa under the leadership ofAndrea Doria, while the Ottomans found an ally inFrance. In its course, the Spanish underÁlvaro de Bazán the Elder would defeat the French in the first large modern battle in the Atlantic inMuros Bay.
The Spanish navy was completely reorganized under KingPhilip II, who disposed of the traditionally semi-private armada operated by Spain. In the Atlantic, Spanish ships had been exclusively private vessels sailing under charter, while in the Mediterranean, the kingdom owned directly only small numbers of ships, hiring the rest by contract (asiento) from players who acted as both shipbuilders and admirals, chiefly Doria and Bazán the Elder.[7] The disaster ofDjerba in 1560 forcefully changed this landscape, driving Philip to initiate a building program which produced and maintained 300 galleys in fourteen years, roughly quadrupling the naval power his fatherCharles V had enjoyed. In the Atlantic Ocean, similar attempts to form a royal navy peaked after theincorporation of Portugal to the Spanish monarchy, leading to the creation of a strong, 100-vessel armada by the 1580s.[7] Attacks of foreign privateers also caused the emergence of a system of bi-annualconvoys, where ships crossing to America would only do so as part of grand fleets to facilitate defense.[8]
From the 1570s, the lengthyDutch Revolt increasingly challenged Spanish sea power, producing powerful rebel naval forces that attacked Spanish shipping and in time made Spain's sea communications with its possessions in the Low Countries difficult. Most notable of these attacks was theBattle of Gibraltar in 1607, in which a Dutchsquadron destroyed a fleet ofgalleons at anchor in the confines of the bay. This naval war took on a global dimension with actions in the Caribbean and the Far East, notably around the Philippines. Spain's response to its problems included the encouragement ofprivateers based in theSpanish Netherlands and known from their main base asDunkirkers, who preyed on Dutch merchant ships andfishing trawlers.
After decisively repealing a large Franco-Ottomansiege of Oran and reinforcing the Christian position in theGreat Siege of Malta, Spain was part of the Holy League along with Venice, thePapal States and other Christian allies, inflicting a great defeat on theOttoman Navy in theBattle of Lepanto (1571) and stopping Muslim forces from gaining uncontested control of the eastern Mediterranean.
In 1580, after a successful amphibious campaign byÁlvaro de Bazán the Younger, Spain entered adynastic union with Portugal, reaching the apex of its naval power as a result of the combined might of its navy with thePortuguese navy, and effectively becoming the most powerful maritime force in the world.
In the 1580s, the conflict in the Netherlands drew England intowar with Spain, creating a further menace to Spanish shipping. The effort to neutralise this threat led to adisastrous attempt to invade England in 1588, however, the disaster of theEnglish 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 toraid 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, theNorth 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 organized by theDuke of Osuna inflicted major defeats on Ottoman Empire in theBattle of Cape Corvo andCape Gelidonya, the latter of which demonstrated the now growing gap between western and eastern navies, along with araid on Constantinople. TheBarbary corsairs in the service of the Ottoman Empire would gradually become only a civilian threat after being bested in battles likeGulf of Tunis andDalmatia and multiple raids on theOttoman Tunisia. These battles stabilised the situation on theeastern Mediterranean front, while in the Spanish Netherlands the allied privateers and local armada underFrancisco de Ribera would successfully disrupt Dutch maritime trade. However, in 1639, an attempt to change their strategy to direct action led to a Dutch fleet underMaarten Tromp decisively defeating a large Spanish fleet in theBattle of the Downs, putting an end to Spanish operations in northern waters.
By the middle of the 17th century, Spain had been drained by the vast strains of theThirty Years' and related wars and began to slip into a slow decline. During the middle to late decades of the century, the Dutch, English and French were able to take advantage of Spain's shrinking, run-down and increasingly underequipped fleets. Military priorities in continental Europe meant that naval affairs were increasingly neglected. The Dutch took control of thesmaller islands of the Caribbean, while England conqueredJamaica and France the western part ofSanto Domingo. These territories became bases for raids on Spanish New World ports and shipping by pirates and privateers. The Spanish concentrated their efforts in keeping the most important islands, such as Cuba,Puerto Rico and the majority of Santo Domingo, while the system oftreasure fleets, despite being greatly diminished, was rarely defeated in safely conveying its freight of silver and Asian luxuries across the Atlantic to Europe. Only two such convoys were ever lost to enemy action with their cargo, one to aDutch fleet in 1628 and another to anEnglish fleet in 1656. A third convoy was destroyed at anchor by anotherEnglish attack in 1657, but it had already unloaded its treasure.
By the time of the wars of theGrand Alliance (1688–97) and theSpanish Succession (1702–14), the Habsburg regime had decided that it was more cost effective to rely on allied fleets, Anglo-Dutch and French respectively, than to invest in its own fleets. Around this time, a service of defensive privateering based on America namedguarda costa was established.
The War of the Spanish Succession arose after the establishment on the Spanish throne of aHouse of Bourbon king, following the extinction of the Spanish Habsburg line. The internal division between supporters of a Habsburg and those of a Bourbon king led to a civil war and ultimately to the loss of Sicily, Sardinia,Menorca andGibraltar. Gibraltar and Menorca were captured by Anglo-Dutch forces fighting under the Spanish flag of Habsburg contenderCharles VI. Menorca was ultimately surrendered to Spain years later. At the end of the War of Spanish Succession, Spain's possessions in the Low Countries andmainland Italy were ceded toAustria.
Attempting to reverse the losses of the previous war, in theWar of the Quadruple Alliance (1718–20) the Spanish Navy successfully convoyed armies to invade Sicily andSardinia, but the poorly maintained escort fleet was destroyed by the British in theBattle of Cape Passaro and the Spanish invasion army was defeated in Italy by the Austrians. A major program to renovate and reorganise the run-down navy was begun. Asecretaría (ministry) of the army and navy had been established by the Bourbon regime as early as 1714; which centralized the command and administration of the different fleets. Following the war of Quadruple Alliance, a program of rigorous standardization was introduced in ships, operations, and administration. Given the needs of its empire, Spanish warship designs tended to be more orientated towards long-range escort and patrol duties than for battle. A major reform of the Spanish Navy was initiated, updating its ships and administration, which was helped by French and Italian experts, although Spaniards, most notablyAntonio de Gaztañeta andJorge Juan, soon rose to prominence in this work, which made Spain a leader in warship design and quality again, as was demonstrated by ships likePrincesa. A major naval yard was established atHavana, enabling the navy to maintain a permanent force in the Americas for the defence of the colonies and the suppression of piracy and smuggling, complemented byguarda costa privateers. In metropolitan Spain, significant forest reconnaissance operations were regularly undertaken by Spanish naval officers to seek out sources oftimber suitable for shipbuilding.[9]
During theWar of the Polish Succession (1733–38), a renewed attempt to regain the lost Italian territories for the Bourbon dynasty was successful; with the French as allies and the British and Dutch neutral, Spain launched a campaign by sea and retook Sicily and southern Italy from Austria. In theWar of Jenkins' Ear, the navy showed it was able to maintain communications with the American colonies and resupply Spanish forces in Italy in the face of British naval opposition. The navy played an important part in the decisiveBattle of Cartagena de Indias in modern-dayColombia, where a massive British invasion fleet and army were defeated by a smaller Spanish force commanded by able strategistBlas de Lezo. This Spanish victory prolonged Spain's supremacy in the Americas until the early 19th century. The program of naval renovation was continued and by the 1750s the Spanish navy had outstripped the Dutch to become the third most powerful in the world, behind only those of Britain and France.
Joining France against Britain near the end of theSeven Years' War (1756–63), the navy failed to prevent the Britishcapturing Havana, during which the Spanish squadron present was also captured. In theAmerican War of Independence (1775–83), the Spanish Navy was essential to the establishment, in combination with the French and Dutch navies, of a numerical advantage that stretched British naval resources. They played a vital role, along with the French and Dutch, in maintaining military supplies to the American rebels. The navy also played a key role in the Spanish Army-led operations that defeated the British in Florida. The bulk of the purely naval combat on the allied side fell to theFrench Navy, although Spain achieved lucrative successes with the capture of two great British convoys meant for the resupply of British forces and loyalists in North America. Joint operations with France resulted in thecapture of Menorca but failed in thesiege of Gibraltar. This time also marked the creation offuerzas sutiles, a long-lasting and successful policy based ongunboats and small vessels armed with heavy artillery.
Having initially opposed France in theFrench Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802), Spain changed sides in 1796, but defeat by the British a few months later in theBattle of Cape St. Vincent (1797) andTrinidad (1798) was followed by the blockade of the main Spanish fleet in Cádiz. The run down of naval operations had as much to do with the confused political situation in Spain as it had to do with the blockade. The British blockade of Spain's ports was of limited success and an attempt toattack Cádiz was defeated; ships on special missions and convoys successfully evaded the Cádiz blockade and other ports continued to operate with little difficulty, but the main battle fleets were largely inactive. The blockade was lifted with thePeace of Amiens 1802.The war recommenced in 1804 and ended in 1808 when the Spain and the United Kingdom became allied againstNapoleon. As in the first part, Cádiz was blockaded and Spanish naval activity was minimal. The most notable event was Spanish involvement in theBattle of Trafalgar under French leadership. This resulted in the Spanish Navy losing elevenships-of-the-line or over a quarter of its line-of-battle ships. After Spain became allied with the United Kingdom in 1808 in itswar of independence, the Spanish Navyjoined the war effort against Napoleon.
The 1820s saw the loss of most of theSpanish 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 ofGeneral O'Donnell, significant investments were made in the Spanish naval squadrons of the Pacific. A new steam-powered naval squadron sailed around the Pacific escorting a Spanish scientific expedition and unfortunately became entangled in what has been billed theFirst War of the Pacific from 1864 to 1871. During the conflict, the Spanish massed a fleet of 15 vessels to combat the combined navies of Peru, Chile, and Ecuador.
The 1890s saw the Spanish Navy gain severalarmored cruisers—important for maintaining connection with the Spanish Empire's remaining colonies—including theEmperador Carlos V. As of 1896, according to the plans of AdmiralJosé María Beránger, there were three naval divisions based atCádiz,Ferrol, andCartagena. Each division was composed ofironclads, in addition to auxiliary squadrons for defense of the Spanish coastline. That year the Armada consisted of onebattleship, eight cruisers of the first class, six of the second class, and nine of the third class, as well as 38 torpedo craft. There were an additional ten vessels under construction. As of 1896 there were 1,002 officers in the navy, along with 725 mechanics, 14,000 sailors, and 9,000 marines. Their numbers were maintained by conscription of the seafaring population.[citation needed]
During theSpanish–American War in 1898, a badly supported and equipped Spanish fleet of four armored cruisers and twodestroyers was overwhelmed by numerically and technically superior forces (three new battleships, one new second-class battleship, and one large armored cruiser) as it tried to break out of an American blockade in theBattle of Santiago de Cuba.Admiral Cervera's squadron was overrun in an attempt to break a powerful American blockade off Cuba. In the Philippines, a squadron, made up of aging ships, including some obsolete cruisers, had already been sacrificed in a token gesture inManila Bay. TheBattle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898. The American Asiatic Squadron under CommodoreGeorge Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under AdmiralPatricio Montojo y Pasarón. The engagement took place in Manila Bay in the Philippines, and was the first major engagement of the Spanish–American War. This war marked the end for the Spanish Navy as a global maritime force.
At the end of the 19th century, the Spanish Navy adopted theSalve Marinera, a hymn to theVirgin Mary asStella Maris, as its officialanthem.
During theRif War in Morocco, the Spanish Navy conducted operations along the coast, including theAlhucemas landing in 1925, the first air-naval landing of the world. At that time, the navy developed anaval aviation branch, theAeronáutica naval.
In 1931, following the proclamation of theSecond Spanish Republic, the Navy of the Spanish Kingdom became theSpanish 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 aroundMadrid and around Spain, making people accept the fact and setting a more relaxed mood.[10] The Spanish Republican Navy introduced a few changes in theflags and ensigns, as well as in the navy officer rank insignia.[11] Theexecutive 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 amural crown.
The Spanish Republican Navy became divided after thecoup of July 1936 that led to theSpanish Civil War (1936–39). The fleet's twosmall dreadnoughts, oneheavy cruiser, onelarge destroyer and half a dozen submarines and auxiliary vessels were lost in the course of the conflict.
Like the rest of the Spanish armed forces, the Spanish Francoist Navy maintainedFrancisco Franco's policy of neutrality duringWorld War II.
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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 theBaleares-classfrigates based on theUS Navy'sKnox class, the Spanish Navy embraced the Americannaval doctrine.[12] Spain became a member ofNATO in 1982 and the Armada Española has taken part in many coalition peacekeeping operations, fromSFOR toHaiti and other locations around the world. The Armada is a modern navy with anaircraft carrier group, a modernstrategic amphibious ship (which replaced a dedicatedaircraft carrier in 2011), modern frigates (F-100 class) with theAegis Combat System, F-80-class frigates,minesweepers, newS-80-classsubmarines, amphibious ships and various other ships, including oceanographicresearch ships.
The Armada'sspecial operations and unconventional warfare capability is embodied in the Naval Special Warfare Command (Mando de Guerra Naval Especial), which is under the direct control of the Admiral of the Fleet. The unit in charge of special operations is theNaval Special Warfare Force (Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial), which is a merge of the previousSpecial Operations Unit (Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE)) and theSpecialCombat Diver Unit (Unidad Especial de Buceadores de Combate (UEBC)). This unit is trained in maritime counter-terrorism, specialized combat diving and swimming, coastal infiltration, ship boarding, direct action, special reconnaissance, hydrographic reconnaissance and underwater demolitions.
Armada officers receive their education at theSpanish Naval Academy (ENM). They are recruited through two different methods:
Subordinate to the Spanish Chief of Naval Staff, stationed in Madrid, are four area commands: the Cantabrian Maritime Zone with its headquarters atFerrol on the Atlantic coast; the Straits Maritime Zone with its headquarters atSan Fernando near Cádiz; the Mediterranean Maritime Zone with its headquarters at Cartagena; and the Canary Islands Maritime Zone with its headquarters atLas Palmas de Gran Canaria. Operational naval units are classified by mission and assigned to either the combat forces, the protective forces, or the auxiliary forces. Combat forces are given the tasks of conducting offensive and defensive operations against potential enemies and for assuring maritime communications. Their principal vessels include a carrier group, naval aircraft, transports, landing vessels, submarines, and missile-armedfast attack craft. Protective forces have the mission of securing maritime communications over both ocean and coastal routes, securing the approaches to ports and maritime terminals. Their principal components are frigates,corvettes, and minesweepers. It also has marine units for the defense of naval installations. Auxiliary forces are responsible for transportation and provisioning at sea and has diverse tasks like coast guard operations, scientific work, and maintenance of training vessels. In addition to supply ships and tankers, the force included destroyers and a large number of patrol craft.
Until February 2013, when it was decommissioned because of budget cuts,[13] the second largest vessel of theArmada was the aircraft carrierPríncipe de Asturias, which entered service in 1988 after completing sea trials. Built in Spain, it was designed with a "ski-jump" takeoff deck. Its complement was 29AV-8 Harrier II vertical (or short) takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft or 16 helicopters designed for anti-submarine warfare and to support marine landings. As of 2025, it was reported that the AV-8B Harrier II would be unlikely to be replaced given that the acquisition of theF-35B fighter has been ruled out by the Spanish government. If confirmed, this means that carrier-based fighter operations by the Spanish Navy will cease in around 2030.[14]
As of 2012[update], the Armada has a strength of 20,800 personnel.[15]
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. TheTercio (fleet — regiment equivalent) is available for immediate embarkation and based out of San Fernando. Its principal weapons includelight tanks,armored personnel vehicles, self-propelled artillery, andTOW andDragonanti-tank missiles.
As of 2018, there are approximately 138 vessels in service within the navy, including minor auxiliary vessels. A breakdown includes anamphibious assault ship (also used as an aircraft carrier),amphibious transport docks, frigates, submarines,mine countermeasure vessels,patrol vessels and a number ofauxiliary ships. The total displacement of the Spanish Navy is approximately 220,000 tonnes.[16]
Designed and constructed entirely in Spain byNavantia the S-81Isaac Peral is the first submarine in the world capable of generatinghydrogen internally through a revolutionary system known as BEST AIP (Bio-Ethanol Steaming Reforming Air Independent Propulsion).[17]
Unlike conventional diesel-electric submarines, which are limited by battery life and snorkeling intervals, the S-81 uses the bioethanol reforming process to feed hydrogen into fuel cells that generate silent, continuous electric propulsion while submerged. This allows the submarine to remain underwater for several weeks, drastically enhancing stealth and tactical flexibility.[18]
The choice of bioethanol, a renewable fuel source, not only enables simpler storage than pure hydrogen but also reduces the submarine’s environmental impact, aligning the vessel with broader clean energy transitions in military applications.[17]
The S-81 is also historically significant as the first submarine fully designed, engineered, and built in Spain, signaling the country's move toward full naval-industrial autonomy after decades of relying on foreign licenses.[19] Delivered to the Spanish Navy in late 2023 for testing, the vessel is named in honor of 19th-century Spanish inventorIsaac Peral, who designed one of the earliest electric submarines.[17]
Although the prototype currently operates with a conventional diesel-electric configuration, the full implementation of the BEST AIP system is planned for 2029–2030, following an extensive testing phase.[18] As the lead vessel of the S-80 Plus class, the S-81 is expected to redefine Spain' underwater strategic capabilities and export potential.[19]
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The Spanish Naval Air Arm constitutes the naval aviation branch of the Spanish Navy.
| Model | Origin | Role | in Service | Variant | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II |  United States | Multi-role | 1987 | EAV-8B Matador II+ | 13[20][21] | Including 1 TAV-8B double-seat trainer |
| Cessna Citation | United States | Utility | Cessna Citation II/III | 4 | 3 C550 1 C650 | |
| NHI NH90 |  Europe | Transport | 2024 | NH-90 MSPT | 2[22] (7) | 7 on order[23] |
| Airbus Helicopters H135 | Europe | Trainer | 2023 | H135 P3H NIVAL | 6(7)[20] | 7 on order[24] Replacement forBell 212 |
| Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | United States | ASW | 1988 | SH-60B | 12 | |
| Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | United States | Transport | 2020 | SH-60F | 8 | [25] |
| Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | United States | ASW/ASuW/Transport | 2025 | MH-60R | 0 (8) | 8 on order, to replace SH-60B |
| Boeing Insitu MQ-27 ScanEagle | United States | unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle | 2015 | 8 |
The officer ranks of the Spanish Navy are as follows below, (for a comparison with other NATO ranks, seeRanks and Insignia of NATO). Midshipmen are further divided into 1st and 2nd Classes and Officer Cadets 3rd and 4th Classes respectively.
| NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Navy[26] | .svg) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||
| NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Navy[26] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suboficial mayor | Subteniente | Brigada | Sargento primero | Sargento | Cabo mayor | Cabo primero | Cabo | Marinero de primera | Marinero | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The articleSpanish Marine Infantry includes the rank insignia descriptions for this part of the Navy.
The Spanish Navy shares the organization model of its two sister services – theSpanish Army and theSpanish 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 anAlmirante 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-starAlmirante, designated Admiral Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (Almirante Segundo Jefe del Estado Mayor de la Armada or2º AJEMA)
Admiral Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (AJEMA)
The basic structure of the Spanish Navy, as defined by Instruction DEF/707/2020 of the Chief of the Naval Staff, is as follows:
The Spanish Navy Headquarters, located in Madrid, comprises a series of departments with the necessary personnel and material to advise the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy in the execution of his duties.The CGA is made up of the following bodies:
The Force of the Spanish Navy is the Fleet, under direct command of AJEMA. Its main task is to have ready the operational naval structures capable of deploying in different types of operations, either joint, combined or specific. It is also in charge of securing the necessary logistic support to those operations. The Fleet is organized into the following bodies:
(San Fernando, Cádiz)
