Spanish oiler Cantabria

Last updated
SPS Cantabria (A15) on Darwin Harbour.jpg
Cantabria in May 2013
History
Naval Jack of Spain.svgSpain
NameCantabria
OrderedJuly 2005
Builder Puerto Real, Cadiz
Cost €238 million [1]
Laid down18 July 2007
Launched21 July 2008
Commissioned29 September 2010
Identification
Statusin active service
Badge Cantabria A15 Armada Espanola.svg
General characteristics
Type Replenishment oiler
Displacement19,500 tons
Length174.0 m (570.9 ft)
Beam23 m (75 ft)
Draught8 m (26 ft)
Propulsion2 diesel MAN 18V 40/45, 10,890 kW (14,600 hp), single propeller shaft, controllable-pitch propeller
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) sustained
Range6,000  nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi)
Capacity
  • 8,920 m3 (315,000 cu ft) of ship fuel
  • 1,585 m3 (56,000 cu ft) of JP-5
  • 215 m3 (7,600 cu ft) of fresh water
  • 280 tons of ammunition
  • 470 tons of general cargo
Complement122
Sensors and
processing systems		 EID ICCS integrated communications control system
Aircraft carried2 (Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King or NHIndustries NH90) –3 (Agusta-Bell AB.212) helicopters
Aviation facilitieshangar and flight deck

Cantabria (A15) is a replenishment oiler operated by the Spanish Navy. Acquired to provide logistical support for the Spanish fleet, Cantabria was commissioned in 2010. Cantabria is the second-largest naval ship currently operated by the Spanish, behind Juan Carlos I.

Contents

Design and construction

Cantabria is a replenishment oiler, referred to in Spanish as a Buque de Aprovisionamiento en Combate (BAC; Supply Ship in Combat). She was acquired to provide logistical support to the Spanish Navy during day-to-day operations, expeditionary forces or strategic projection deployments, and for humanitarian and disaster relief operations. The vessel has a displacement of 19,500 tons, is 170.4 metres (559 ft) in length, has a beam of 23 metres (75 ft), and a draught of 8 metres (26 ft). Propulsion is provided by two diesel engines, supplying 10,890 kilowatts (14,600  hp ) to a single propeller shaft, which is fitted with a controllable-pitch propeller. Cantabria has a maximum sustained speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi). The ship's complement is 122.

The ship's capacity includes 8,920 cubic metres (315,000 cu ft) of ship fuel, 1,585 cubic metres (56,000 cu ft) of JP-5 jet fuel, 215 cubic metres (7,600 cu ft) of fresh water, 280 tons of ammunition, and 470 tons of general cargo. The fuel storage areas are double-hulled. Cantabria can replenish three ships simultaneously; one on each side, plus a third via a stern refueling station. She can carry three Agusta-Bell AB.212, two Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, or two NHIndustries NH90 helicopters to perform vertical replenishment.

Cantabria was laid down in the dry dock of shipyard of Puerto Real, Cadiz, on 18 July 2007; the first ship to be built there in 30 years. The ship was launched by floating on 21 July 2008, and was sponsored by Aurora Diaz Abella, the wife of Miguel Ángel Revilla, the President of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. The ship underwent sea trials in the Bay of Cadiz from October to December 2009. She was commissioned into the Spanish Navy on 29 September 2010. The original budget was €213m but the final cost was €238m. [1]

Export

The design has been evaluated by foreign buyers. Canada approached Navantia to provide a design for the Joint Support Ship Project based on Cantabria, but Navantia's proposal was not successful, with Canada eventually selecting an alternative German design based on the Berlin class. The Norwegian Navy has also expressed interest, but they have announced an order for a replenishment ship from South Korean shipbuilder DSME.[ citation needed ]

Australia considered the design for their replacement tankers, with Navantia competing against the Aegir variant of the Tide-class tanker built by South Korea's DSME in a restricted tender competition. [2] [3] Navantia's proposal based on Cantabria was announced as the successful design in the Australian tender in March 2016, with an expected in service date for the first of two vessels to be known as HMA Ships Supply and Stalwart of late 2019. The two vessels will be known within the Royal Australian Navy as the Supply class. [4]

Operational history

Between 2 and 5 July 2012, Cantabria participated alongside the frigates Álvaro de Bazán, Almirante Juan de Borbón, and Méndez Núñez, the submarine Galerna, and AV-8Bs of the 9th naval air squadron during exercise MAR-22 on the Atlantic coast of Galicia.

Cantabria entering Sydney Harbour in October 2013 RAN-IFR 2013 D2 02.JPG
Cantabria entering Sydney Harbour in October 2013
Cantabria moored at Gallions Basin in London in January 2016 SPS Cantabria at Gallions Basin.jpg
Cantabria moored at Gallions Basin in London in January 2016

On 3 July 2012, the Australian and Spanish governments signed an agreement to deploy Cantabria in support of the Royal Australian Navy during 2013. [5] The ship operated in Australian waters from February to November 2013, was used to provide replenishment support to the Australians while the oiler HMAS Success underwent maintenance. [5] While in Australian waters, Cantabria performed 63 replenishments, including 10,500 cubic metres (370,000 cu ft) of fuel, was involved in the first vertical replenishment of an Anzac-class frigate by an MRH-90 helicopter, [6] and participated in the International Fleet Review 2013.[ citation needed ] The deployment also allowed over 300 Australian personnel to train on systems similar to those in the Spanish-designed Hobart and Canberra-class ships being acquired, and allowed the Royal Australian Navy to evaluate the design as a possible replacement for its replenishment vessels. [5] [6]

In 2015 the Canadian and Spanish governments concluded a deal where Patiño and Cantabria would deploy with Canadian naval forces as their replenishment vessel in 2016. This would be done primarily for training missions. Cantabria would be made available to the Royal Canadian Navy from mid-September to November 2016. [7]

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HMAS <i>Success</i> (OR 304) Durance-class multi-product replenishment oiler

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The Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) ships were used by the Royal Canadian Navy to resupply ships at sea with food, munitions, fuel and spare parts. They had more sophisticated medical and dental facilities than smaller warships. At 172 metres (564 ft) the ships were some of the largest operated by the RCN. Entering service in 1969, the last vessel of the class was paid off in 2016.

Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company that builds vessels for the military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world. The company is the result of the segregation of the military assets of the IZAR Group in 2005. The company designs, builds, and supports all types of surface vessels, submarines, and systems. In addition, it is diversifying into new markets such as renewable energy, the offshore industry, and naval services.

Wave-class tanker Class of fast fleet tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Replenishment oiler</span> Naval auxiliary ship

A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.

The Protecteur class of naval auxiliaries for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) began as the Joint Support Ship Project, a Government of Canada procurement project for the RCN that is part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. It will see the RCN acquire two multi-role vessels to replace the earlier Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment vessels.

A joint support ship (JSS) is a multi-role naval vessel capable of launching and supporting joint amphibious and airlift operations. It can also provide command and control, sealift and seabasing, underway replenishment, disaster relief and logistics capabilities for combined land and sea operations.

HMAS <i>Westralia</i> (O 195) Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Westralia was a modified Leaf-class replenishment oiler which served with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1989 to 2006. Formerly RFA Appleleaf (A79), she served in with the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) from 1975 to 1989. The ship was initially leased to the RAN, then purchased outright in 1994. In 1998, a fire onboard resulted in the deaths of four sailors. Westralia was decommissioned in 2006, and the ship was sold into civilian service for use as a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, under the name Shiraz. However, the ship was laid up in Indonesia until late 2009, when she was sold to a Turkish ship breaking company. Arriving in January 2010, the vessel was scrapped.

HMAS <i>Sirius</i> (O 266) Fleet replenishment vessel

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HNLMS <i>Amsterdam</i> (A836)

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Spanish oiler <i>Patiño</i>

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Tide-class tanker Class of four fast fleet tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

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<i>Supply</i>-class replenishment oiler

The Supply class is a class of replenishment oilers of the Royal Australian Navy, a role that combines the missions of a tanker and stores supply ship. As such they are designated auxiliary oiler replenisher (AOR). They are tasked with providing ammunition, fuel, food and other supplies to Royal Australian Navy vessels around the world. There are two ships in the class, Supply and Stalwart. The project is expected to cost anywhere between $1 and $2 billion. Navantia were selected to build a design based on the Spanish Navy's current replenishment vessel Cantabria, which entered service in 2011.

HMAS <i>Supply</i> (A195) Supply-class replenishment oiler of Royal Australian Navy

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HMAS <i>Stalwart</i> (A304) Supply-class replenishment oiler for the Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Stalwart is the second of the Navantia built Supply-class replenishment oiler for the Royal Australian Navy. It had its keel laid in November 2018 as a part of the SEA 1654 Phase 3 project. HMAS Stalwart (III) and her sister ship HMAS Supply (II) replace HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius with a single class of two auxiliary oiler replenisher (AOR) ships to sustain deployed maritime forces.

The Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme (FSSP) aims to deliver up to three fleet solid support ships to the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The ships will be used to provide underway replenishment of dry stores, such as ammunition, spare parts and supplies, to ships of the Royal Navy. They will regularly deploy with the UK Carrier Strike Group, providing crucial supplies to the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and their escorts. All three ships had been scheduled to enter service between 2028 and 2032. However, subsequently the Ministry of Defence indicated that the first ship would in fact not be operational until 2031.

References

  1. 1 2 Ministerio de Defensa (September 2011). "Evaluación de los Programas Especiales de Armamento (PEAs)" (PDF) (in Spanish). Madrid: Grupo Atenea. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Minister for Defence – Transcript – Naval shipbuilding announcement, CEA Technologies, Canberra" (Transcript). Department of Defence Ministers. 6 June 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Hewett, Jennifer (26 April 2015). "Australian ships, Australian jobs". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Grevatt, Jon (10 March 2016). "Australia selects Navantia for new replenishment ship". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Ing, David (4 July 2012). "Australia and Spain agree to share fleet tanker". Jane's Defence Weekly. Jane's Information Group.
  6. 1 2 Kerr, Julian (24 October 2013). "Cantabria to leave Australia with great wealth of knowledge". Australian Defence Magazine. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Pugliese, David (9 December 2015). "Royal Canadian Navy prepares for Spanish supply ship Patiño in late January on east coast". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
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