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Further Reading

Cantabria Combat Replenishment Ship
Buque de Aprovisionamiento en Combate (BAC)

In the document of Strategic Revision of the Defense, the necessity was settled to harness the operative logistical support of the Navy of such form that allows the Armed Forces to reinforce its expeditionary character. The Operational Logistic Support is an important requirement of the Spanish Navy, as is the basis of the power projection capability which permits sustained operations in far away scenarios. To a great extent, it provides one of the intrinsic characteristics of a naval force; namely logistic self-sufficiency. The ship capable of providing operational logistical support ships and also participate in ecological and humanitarian operations.

With a dead weight of 9,800 tons, the Combat Replenishment Ship "Cantabria" is a 174 m long ship displacing 19,600 tons, which makes it the second largest of the Navy ship after the LHD Juan Carlos I. The ship can maintain a speed of 20 knots (maximum speed exceeding 21 knots) and its autonomy to 13 knots (speed economic) will be of 6,000 miles. It has a flight deck, with hangar, from which may operate helicopters.

Her five replenishment stations (one aft) can supply 8,000 cubic meters of fuel to ships and 1,500 cubic meters of fuel to aircraft, as well as ammunition, repair parts and food to a force in the sea. The "Cantabria" can replenish three ships simultaneously. The ship has a flight deck with hangar for medium and heavy helicopters and a ten bed hospital with an operating theatre equipped with videoconference for telemedicine; X-ray room; dental service; sterile lab; consulting room and a gas center. The ship has also been designed for environmental defence operations and is adequately equipped to face risk situations such as ship accidents.

The state-of-the-art Combat System permits the ship to operate within a Naval Force. The Combat System is a Spanish R&D product. The "Cantabria" has an integrated and highly automated Platform Control System designed by NAVANTIA, thus reducing the size of the crew. Special care has been taken in relation to crew accommodation combining comfort and ergonomics. The crew will be 122 (50% can be female personnel).

The new ship was very similar to the existing PATIÑO, but it was equipped with double hull to fulfill the present legislation relative to oil ships. The "Cantabria" is an environmentally respectful double hull ship (Green Ship), abiding all international conventions and laws in this respect. Complying with more stringent international standards of preservation of the marine environment, including known as MARPOL Convention proposed by the International Maritime Organization for civilian tankers. It has double hull and has a comprehensive system to deal with the waste generated by the ship.

In early 2005 the Spainish government gave definitive approval to the contract for the construction of a new Buque de Aprovisionamiento en Combate (BAC - Ship of Supplying in Combat) valued in 213 million euros. The "Cantabria", an enlarged 19,500t version of the Patino Class replenishment ship, was built by the Navantia Company in its shipyards of Real Port (Cadiz). It gave to the Shipyards of Navantia in Real Port 475 jobs per year.

The ship was built at the NAVANTIA Shipyards in Puerto Real (Cádiz). The keel of the Cantabria was laid on July 18, 2007. On July 21st 2008 the Combat Replenishment Ship "Cantabria" was launched at the NAVANTIA Shipyards in Puerto Real (Cádiz). The ceremony was sponsored by Aurora Díaz, wife of the Cantabrian President and was attended by Miguel Ángel Revilla, President of the Cantabrian Government, Admiral General Sebastián Zaragoza and the chairmen of SEPI and NAVANTIA.

The Combat Supply Ship (BAC) Cantabria was delivered by Navantia to the Spanish Navy at the Naval Base of Rota on 29 July 2010. Christend in June 2008, the Cantabria made its latest sea trials from November 28 to December 2, 2009. The awards ceremony was directed by senior officers of the Navy, the President of Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla and his wife and godmother of the ship Aurora Díaz.

According to the Spanish Navy, final tests carried out in waters of the Gulf of Cadiz, the A-15 conducted exercises of supply of fuel in the sea, in particular to the frigate F-82 Victoria which collaborated in the tests. In the course of tests the correct functioning of systems of propulsion, communications, combat and electronic surveillance of the ship were also verified, as were noises, vibrations, radars and anchor of machine guns. Navantia indicated that all tests were satisfactory and that the customer, the Navy, is very satisfied with the results obtained and the capabilities demonstrated by the ship. The first series of tests took place from 5 to 9 October 2009 in which checked the machines and electrical plant, systems combat, communications, radar and tightness, as well as the system of supply in the sea, for what is also counted with the collaboration of the frigate victory.

Once delivered, the "Cantabria" greatly enhanced the operational logistic capability of the Spanish Navy allowing for sustained force projection operations in far away scenarios. It is able to supply of liquid fuels, water and solids (food, ammunition, spare parts and equipment) to a naval grouping or a battle group. It has the capacity to supply up to three ships simultaneously. It can also support combined expeditions of Earth and the Navy and ability to cooperate in the fight against environmental pollution at sea and large hospital capacity. In another vein, the Cantabria BAC complies with the policies of equality in the sense that it is designed counting for half of the boat to be women.