Australia is spending $640 million on naval supply ships made in Spain

The Turnbull government’s massive spend on Australia’s naval capability continued today after signing a deal to spend $640 million on two naval replenishment ships built in Spain .
Unlike recent announcements by the prime minister about building submarines and other ships in Australia, today’s decision to give the contract to Madrid-based Navantia was low key.
Defence minister Marise Payne confirmed Navantia as the preferred tenderer, beating South Korea’s Daewoo, for the two auxiliary oiler and replenishment (AOR) vessels in March.
Australia’s current supply ship, HMAS Success, launched in 1984, will reach its end of life in 2021, and needs to be replaced urgently.
The navy’s other supply ship, HMAS Sirius, is a former commercial oil tanker commissioned in 2006 and does not have the capability for other supplies. Navantia, which build the Royal Australian Navy’s two newest vessels, the landing helicopter dock ships, Canberra and Adelaide, will build two 19,500-tonne dual tanker and supply ships.
The contract stipulates that $130 million of the build will involve local industry for combat and communication systems, and elements of the onboard cranes. And an initial $250 million, five-year sustainment contract, also signed with Navantia, will be undertaken in Australia.
businessinsider

Canada's Navy In Talks To Rent Spanish Replenishment Ship 'Cantabria'

Spain and Canada are negotiating a mutual logistic arrangement (MLSA) to deploy a Spanish replenishment ship with the Canadian fleet in the North Atlantic.
The ship deployed "during some periods of 2016" could be the auxiliary oiler and replenishment ship (AOR) Cantabria or Patiño. The logistic arrangement is "to cover the Canadian navy's temporary need of logistic support vessels."
The Cantabria or Patiño would support training for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Atlantic fleet starting in January. "No end date for the use of that support ship has been established," said Royal Canadian Navy spokeswoman. Negotiations are still ongoing and the MLSA is not yet finalized.
But starting on Oct. 18, Royal Canadian Navy sailors will be serving on the Spanish Navy supply ship Cantabria. Twenty Eight canadian sailors will be on the ship to conduct training during NATO's Trident Juncture 15 exercise.
The Spanish AOR Cantabria deployed with the Royal Australian Navy in 2013. The government of Australia paid the expenses of that deployment during the year.
defensenews

Navantia signed a contract with Australia for the analysis of two logistics ships

Navantia signed a contract with the BMD of Australia to carry out a risk assessment, technically called Desing Risk Reduction Study (RRDS ), a new logistics ship AOR Australian.
Company officials explained that this study will last for approximately eight months and to analyze the feasibility of a redesigned combat supply ship ( BAC ) based on the specific requirements of the ship from Australian Cantabria , designed and built by Spanish public shipyards for the Spanish Armada .
Navantia has been shortlisted, along with South Korea's DSME as a possible supplier of ships.
In the Australian market, recently the Commonwealth of Australia has accepted the Canberra , first of two amphibious ships ALHD built by Navantia and the company BAE Systems .
The BAC Cantabria , delivered by Navantia in 2010, was deployed for several months in Australia with a mission to integrate and operate with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
infodefensa

Spain offers India advanced ship building technology

Spain is offering to build ships and submarines for the Indian Navy in India with transfer of technology.
The Indian Navy, which is expanding with the acquisition of large ships like aircraft carriers, would need supply ships like the Cantabria, which is on a year-long voyage to display its technology and utility.
The double-hulled 19,500-ton Cantabria, designated a combat supply ship (CSC), is a well-designed and capable vessel with place for two large or three medium helicopters, 24×7 sensors and self-defence guns, 8,000 cubic meters of ship fuel, 2,000 cubic metres of jet fuel, 200 tons of fresh water and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km). It can simultaneously refuel three ships.
The Spanish submarines, designated S-80, are using an innovative AIP system to charge fuel cells, similar to those in the US space shuttle programme.
Cantabria’s commanding officer, pointed out that his ship had left La Grana naval port on January 3 for 11 months’ deployment with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and will return home on December 21, spending 200 days of the period in the water. That itself demonstrates the capability of the ship.
The US Navy, which has the world’s largest ships in its aircraft carriers, generally deploys vessels for about six months at a time, Nieto observed, pointing out that Cantabria could comfortably sustain a mission of about one year.
Cantabria is totally computerized, and the captain can manage all its operations with one laptop from anywhere on the vessel by hooking onto its two main computers on the bridge. Every single door or cranes can be operated in real time.
Senior officers of the Indian Navy and industry were invited to witness the technology aboard the Cantabria.
Navantia has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which is already working with the Indian Navy in heavy engineering and has built parts of the indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant and fast attack craft (FAC). Navantia and L&T are working jointly on building four LPDs like INS Jalashwa for amphibious military operations and disaster relief for the Indian Navy.
freepressjournal

AUSTRALIA NOT TO BUY SPAIN'S NAVY REPLENISHEMENT VESSEL 'CANTABRIA'; TO BUILD NEW VESSELS TO REPLACE THEIR OWN

Acording to a reliable Australian source, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)"does not want to buy ('Cantabria') it. There will be a competition to replace HMAS Success and maybe even HMAS Sirius- but no sale of Cantabria to Australia."

The source added: "Australia wants new builds and at least 80% of the work to be done in Australia. If the price is right, we may even buy two to replace both vessels- but for now only HMAS Success is up for replacement."
"Cantabria heads home next month- HMAS Success is now out of refit and looking well. the Navy have been very impressed with Cantabria and what the Spanish have done while deployed down here,(...)is the start of a very very long friendship between the two countries"

Morenés visitará hoy en Melbourne al buque 'Cantabria' y asistirá al bautizo del 'Canberra', construido por Navantia

El ministro de Defensa, Pedro Morenés, visitará este viernes en Melbourne (Australia) al buque 'Cantabria' de la Armada, que permanecerá todo el año en este país, y tendrá ocasión además de asistir al bautizo del buque 'Canberra' de la Royal Australian Navy, construido por Navantia con las mismas características del 'Juan Carlos I' de la Armada española.
europapress

El buque 'Cantabria' llega a Australia, donde permanecerá todo 2013 integrado con su Armada

El buque 'Cantabria' de la Armada ha llegado este miércoles a Melbourne, para un largo despliegue en el que permanecerá integrado con la Marina de Australia, que asumirá todos los gastos de esta misión.

Según ha informado la 'Royal Australian Navy' en su página oficial en 'Facebook', el buque fue recibido en Melbourne por el comandante de la Flota australiana, almirante Tim Barrett, el consul general de España, Miguel Gómez de Aranda, y el agregado de Defensa, capitán Francisco Penuelas, entre otras autoridades.

El buque español salió hace 41 días de la base de 'La Graña' (Ferrol) y ha recorrido 20.000 kilómetros para llegar a su destino, con 146 militares españoles y doce miembros de la Marina australiana a bordo.

europapress

El buque de aprovisionamiento de combate ‘Cantabria’ hace escala en la isla de Diego García

El buque de aprovisionamiento de combate (BAC) ‘Cantabria’ ha partido de la isla de Diego García (Territorio Británico del Océano Índico), segunda y última escala de la navegación que llevará al buque español a aguas australianas, donde estará desplegado en cooperación con la Marina Australiana hasta final de año.
Desde que partiera de su base el pasado 3 de enero, el buque ha hecho 25 días de mar con una parada logística en el puerto de Souda (Creta).
Durante su navegación por el Mediterráneo, el ‘Cantabria’ ha contribuido a la Operación ‘Active Endeavour’ de vigilancia en aguas internacionales del Mediterráneo. Una vez efectuado el cruce del canal de Suez, y durante el tránsito por el Golfo de Adén, ha colaborado con distintas unidades de la Operación ‘Atalanta’ de lucha contra la piratería, suministrando combustible y víveres.
El despliegue del ‘Cantabria’ permitirá a la Armada operar en un escenario de marcado interés estratégico, mejorar el adiestramiento del buque y su dotación a unos niveles muy superiores a los que permite el actual escenario de restricciones presupuestarias, y poner a prueba los mecanismos de apoyo a despliegues de larga duración.
Para esta misión, el Comandante del buque, capitán de fragata José Luis Nieto Fernández, cuenta con una dotación de 146 hombres y mujeres. Además, durante el tránsito a Sidney han embarcado doce miembros de la Marina Australiana, que se han integrado plenamente con la dotación del buque español.
armada.mde.es

El buque ‘Cantabria’ aprovisiona en aguas de Somalia a la fragata ‘Méndez Núñez’

El buque de aprovisionamiento de combate ‘Cantabria’, que navega rumbo a Australia, y la fragata ‘Méndez Núñez’, participante en la Operación “Atalanta”, se encontraron el sábado pasado en el Golfo de Adén para realizar aprovisionamiento y petroleo en la mar.
El aprovisionamiento consistió en el traspaso de 44 palés de alimentos y material diverso necesario para la navegación. Para ello, se realizaron dos tipos de maniobras diferentes. La primera consistió en el transbordo de 31 palés de un barco a otro mediante cableado. La complejidad de esta operación, que duró unas dos horas, reside en que los buques deben navegar en todo momento a una misma velocidad y rumbo, y además contar con las condiciones meteorológicas y de la mar.
El resto de palés fueron transferidos mediante una maniobra de aprovisionamiento vertical, empleando el helicóptero SH-60B que embarca la fragata española durante su participación en la operación “Atalanta”.
Además del transbordo de material, el BAC ‘Cantabria’ suministró simultáneamente a las fragatas “Méndez Núñez” y a la francesa ‘Surcouf’ 200.000 litros de combustible a cada uno. La maniobra se realizó conjuntamente con los dos barcos por las dos bandas del buque de aprovisionamiento de combate.
El BAC ‘Cantabria’ partió el 3 de enero de Ferrol rumbo a Australia para desplegarse a mediados de febrero junto a la Marina de este país durante un período de nueve meses. Esta misión permitirá a la Armada operar en un escenario de marcado interés estratégico, mejorar el adiestramiento del buque y su dotación, así como poner a prueba los mecanismos de apoyo a despliegues de larga duración.
Por su parte, la fragata ‘Méndez Núñez’ está integrada desde el 6 de diciembre en la Operación “Atalanta” de lucha contra la piratería en el océano Índico, que desarrolla la Fuerza Naval de la Unión Europea (EUNAVFOR). Su cometido principal es la escolta y protección de los buques del Programa Mundial de Alimentos (World Food Program – WFP), la seguridad marítima internacional y contribuir a la lucha contra la piratería en aguas del Índico próximas a Somalia y Golfo de Adén. Además, la fragata aloja al Estado Mayor Multinacional de EUNAVFOR, con lo que está ejerciendo la labor de buque de mando en “Atalanta”.
armada.mde.es

Arrangement Signed for the Spanish Armada Ship Cantabria to Deploy to Australia in 2013

Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, AO, CSC, RAN, has signed the project arrangement between the Australian and Spanish Navies for the deployment to Australia of the Spanish Armada Ship, SPS Cantabria from mid-February until November 2013.

The Cantabria deployment is a unique opportunity for both Navies and will strengthen the bilateral relationship between Spain and Australia.

minister.defence.gov.au