Spanish Navy Air Arm - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Aircraft carriers

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, 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...

Air Arm acquired its first aircraft carrier in 1967 and named her the SNS Dédalo (R01)

Spanish aircraft carrier Dédalo

Dédalo was the first Spanish aircraft carrier and the second aviation ship in the Spanish Navy . She remained the fleet's flagship until the Principe de Asturias replaced her...

. This light aircraft carrier saw combat action as the in the Pacific during the Second World War, while in service with the US Navy. In 1972 the loan was converted to a sale and the Dédalo became property of Spain.

In May 1988, the SPS Principe de Asturias (R11) entered service with the Spanish Navy. This new-build V/STOL aircraft carrier was entirely constructed in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

and features a distinctive 12 degrees "ski-jump" ramp for launching the AV-8 Harrier fighters. The Principe de Asturias replaced the Dédalo as the main aircraft carrier and flagship of the Spanish Navy. The Spanish Navy retired the obsolete Dédalo in 1989 and the all Harrier and helicopter operations were transferred to the Principe de Asturias.

Harriers (Matadores)

The Spanish Navy has operated Harriers for over thirty years.

The first batch of six Hawker Siddeley AV-8S single seat and two TAV-8S two seat aircraft were delivered to the Spanish Navy throughout 1976. A second batch of four AV-8S aircraft was delivered in 1980. The aircraft's official name is Matador, although the distinctive large air intakes led to the nickname "Cobra". All of the AV-8Ss were operated by 8 Escuadrilla (8 Squadron), based at Naval Air Station Rota

Naval Station Rota, Spain

Naval Station Rota is a Spanish naval base commanded by a Spanish Vice Admiral and fully funded by the United States of America. Located in Rota, Spain, and near the Spanish town of El Puerto de Santa María, NavSta Rota is the largest American military community in Spain and houses US Navy...

, as were all other Spanish Naval Aviation Squadrons.

The early model AV-8S received company when the Spanish Navy took delivery of the EAV-8B Matador II

AV-8B Harrier II

The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing ground-attack aircraft. An Anglo-American development of the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the Harrier II is the final member of the Harrier family that started with the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 in...

in 1987. Between 1987 and autumn 1988, 12 EAV-8Bs were delivered to the newly formed 9 Escuadrilla at NAS Rota

Naval Station Rota, Spain

.

The new EAV-8B offered better performance and handling. It had a newly designed wing, which offered better performance at high speeds, better fuel consumption and increased fuel capacity. The Rolls Royce F402-RR-406

Rolls-Royce Pegasus

The Rolls-Royce Pegasus is a turbofan engine originally designed by Bristol Siddeley, and now manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. This engine is able to direct thrust downwards which can then be swivelled to power a jet aircraft forward. Lightly loaded, it can also manoeuvre like a helicopter,...

engine offered better trust and reliability than the engine of the old AV-8S. The EA-8B also has smaller air intakes and a higher placed canopy, offering better pilot visibility.

The remaining seven AV-8Ss and two TAV-8Ss were sold to Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

in 1996, where they entered service with the Royal Thai Navy

Royal Thai Navy

The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...

. After phasing out the AV-8S and TAV-8S Matadors, 8 Escuadrilla was disbanded.

During that same year, the Spanish Navy took delivery of its first EAV-8B+ aircraft. The Harrier II Plus program was a joint effort by the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

, the Spanish Navy, and Italian Navy

Italian Navy

Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...

to increase the capabilities of the AV-8B while sharing the costs of the program.

The largest and most noticeable improvement of the Harrier II Plus program was the installation of the Hughes AN/APG-65 multimode radar, the original radar system of the F/A-18A/C Hornet

F/A-18 Hornet

The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...

. Although fitted with a slightly smaller antenna than on the Hornet, the AN/APG-65 gives the EAV-8B+ a true Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capability. Armed with the AIM-120 AMRAAM

AIM-120 AMRAAM

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...

missile, the EAV-8B+ can detect and destroy enemy aircraft well before they enter visual range. The radarless EAV-8B can only rely on short-range heat seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder

AIM-9 Sidewinder

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...

missiles for self-defence. EAV-8B+ Harriers can easily be identified by their larger noses, which house the AN/APG-65 radar.

But the strike capabilities of the EAV-8B+ were also improved. The Litening II Targeting Pod

LITENING targeting pod

The AN/AAQ-28 LITENING targeting pod is a precision targeting pod system currently operational with a wide variety of combat aircraft. LITENING significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the aircraft during day, night and under-the-weather conditions in the attack of ground and air...

enables the EAV-8B+ to undertake strike missions at night or in adverse weather. New avionics

Avionics

Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...

and weapon systems allow the EAV-8B+ to use precision-guided munitions including JDAM and laser guided weapon systems. The EAV-8B+ also received a new Rolls Royce engine, the F402-RR-408, delivering 10% more thrust than the older -406 engines. The Spanish Navy received eight "factory fresh" EAV-8B+ aircraft in 1996, which also entered service with 9 Escuadrilla. Of the remaining nine EAV-8B Harriers, three aircraft were lost in accidents, five were upgraded to Harrier II Plus standard by CASA

Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA

Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA , was a Spanish aircraft manufacturer. It became EADS CASA the Spanish branch of EADS in 1999, but was absorbed by Airbus Military in 2009...

in Spain

Spain

.

Four EAV-8B “Day Attack” Harriers continue to operate next to the EAV-8B+ variants with 9 Escuadrilla, although the Spanish Navy is looking into a small upgrade of these aircraft. This upgrade would not give them the AN/APG-65 radar of the EAV-8B+, but would include the F402-RR-408 engine and some of the targeting systems.

Besides the EAV-8B and EAV-8B+ Harriers, 9 Escuadrilla also operates a single two seat TAV-8B. After the sale of the two TAV-8S aircraft in 1996, US Marine Corps instructors at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, trained the Spanish Harrier pilots. After delivery of the sole TAV-8B of the Spanish Navy in June 2001, Spanish Harrier pilots can receive their training at NAS Rota. But Spanish Harrier pilots in the making still have to travel to the United States as all initial flight training is conducted with the T-34 Mentor

T-34 Mentor

The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston-engined. These were eventually succeeded by the upgraded T-34C...

and T-45 Goshawk

T-45 Goshawk

|-Avionics:Data from naval-technology.com *Smiths Industries, Ltd. AN/USN-2 Standard Attitude Heading and Reference System . Later replaced by the BAE/Marconi AN/ASN-180 Navigation Guidance System ....

training squadrons of the US Navy.

Helicopters

Although the Spanish Navy operates four helicopter types, only two of these operate from the Principe de Asturias: the SH-3H Sea King and the Agusta-Bell AB 212

UH-1N Twin Huey

The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...

. The SH-60B Seahawk helicopters operate from the F-80 Santa Maria class frigate and the Hughes 500M

MD 500 Defender

|-See also:-External links:* *...

helicopters are used for basic training at NAS Rota.

5 Escuadrilla, nicknamed "The Flying Cows", flies two versions of the SH-3H Sea King. Initially all Sea Kings were delivered as Anti-Submarine Warfare

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....

(ASW) helicopters but three of these were converted to Airborne Early Warning

Airborne Early Warning

An airborne early warning and control system is an airborne radar system designed to detect aircraft at long ranges and control and command the battle space in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack plane strikes...

(AEW) helicopters by CASA in Spain. The AEW Sea Kkings use the Searchwater radar system and can easily be identified by the large radar bulge attached to the helicopter. Operated by two radar officers, the AEW SH-3H Sea Kings patrol ahead of the naval task force, providing early warning alert for incoming missiles or aircraft.

The rest of the SH-3Hs were converted to troop carriers and received a transport role. Usually, two AEW Sea Kings deploy aboard the Principe de Asturias, with the third example remaining at NAS Rota. The SH-3H troop carriers not only deploy aboard the carrier but also to Spanish Navy amphibious ships such as the SPS Galicia (L51) and SPS Castilla (L52).

The sole Agusta-Bell AB 212 aboard the Principe de Asturias belongs to 3 Escuadrilla, nicknamed "The Cat Squadron". During daylight operations, the SAR aircrews stand by to launch within minutes if rescue is required. During night operations, the AB 212 remains airborne, hovering close the aircraft carrier to provide immediate assistance in case of emergency. When not assigned to SAR duty at the aircraft carrier, 3 Escuadrilla provides close air support for the Spanish Marines, armed with machineguns and rocket pods.

Order Of Battle

|-
! style= "background:#cccccc;" colspan=4; | Naval Station Rota, Spain

Naval Station Rota, Spain

(LERT)
Rwy 10/28
36º 38' 42.940 N 6º 20' 58.499 W
Elev: 86 ft (26 m).
|-----
! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Escuadrilla
(Squad)

Squad

In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...

! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Aircraft Type
! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Number of
units
! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Badge

Badge

A badge is a device or fashion accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath , a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple...

|-----
! style="text-align: center;| 3ª Esc. || Agusta-Bell 212

UH-1N Twin Huey

|| 7 ||
|-----
! style="text-align: center;| 4ª Esc. || Cessna Citation II/VII || 3/1 ||
|-----
! style="text-align: center;| 5ª Esc. || Sikorsky SH-3H/AEW

H-3 Sea King

The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare helicopter. It served with the United States Navy and other forces, and continues to serve in many countries around the world. The Sea King has been built under license in Italy and Japan, and in the United Kingdom as the...

|| 7/3 ||
|-----
! style="text-align: center;| 6ª Esc. || Hughes 500M || 8 ||
|-----
! style="text-align: center;| 9ª Esc. || MD AV-8B+ /TAV-8B Matador
Harrier II || 17 ||
|-----
! style="text-align: center;| 10ª Esc. || Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk

SH-60 Seahawk

The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...

|| 12 ||
|-
! style= "background:#cccccc;" colspan=4; |
Principe de Asturias (R11)
Aircraft Carrier
|-----
! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Patrulla
(Squad)

Squad

! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Aircraft Type
! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Number of
units
! style="text-align: center; background: #ccccaa;"|Badge

Badge

|-----
! style="text-align: center;|
Patrulla Principe
de Asturias || AV-8B+ Harrier II
Sikorsky SH-3H

H-3 Sea King

Agusta-Bell 212ASW
Sikorsky SH-3

H-3 Sea King

AEW

Airborne Early Warning

|| 12
6
4
2 ||

External links

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