EUROMARFOR units: ESPS Cristóbal Colón, FS Courbet and NRP Álvares Cabral.
Landing helicopter dock (LHD) Juan Carlos I, the Spanish Navy's biggest vessel, was launched in March 2008 at Navantia Ferrol Shipyard. Named after the King of Spain, the strategic projection ship has been built at an approximate cost of €360m.
The ship was designed in 2005, completed sea trials in June 2010 and was commissioned in September 2010.
The LHD has four decks – a dock and garage for heavy cargo, a habitability deck, a hangar and light cargo garage and a flight deck with a portside 12° sky-jump. The ship is equipped with four 20mm guns and four 12.7mm machine guns. An anti-missile close-in weapon system is planned to be included in future.
The LHD is a multipurpose vessel that can be used as an aircraft carrier as well as for amphibious and relief operations.
ESPS Juan Carlos I ready for the amphibious assault.
ESPS Juan Carlos I and two LCM-1E.
Amphibious assault underway.
Amphibious assault underway.
Amphibious assault underway.
LCM-1E reaching the beech.
Portuguese marines ready for landing.
LCM-1E delivering marines.
LCM-1E delivering vehicles and marines.
One battalion underway to the objective.
Briefing to CTF443 (admiral COMNAV, vice-admiral Pereira da Cunha ) and COMEUROMARFOR (admiral ALFLOT, vice-admiral Santiago Bolíbar).
CTF443 (admiral COMNAV, vice-admiral Preira da Cunha ) and COMEUROMARFOR (admiral ALFLOT, vice-admiral Santiago Bolíbar).
CTF443 (Admiral COMNAV) - Admiral Pereira da Cunha;
COMEUROMARFOR (Admiral ALFLOT) - Admiral Santiago Bolíbar;
Portuguese Air Commander – TGEN Lopes da Silva;
Portuguese Land Forces Commander (Represented) – MGEN Pires da Silva;
Spanish Marine Corps Commander – MGEN Jesús Vicente Fernandez;
Portuguese Marine Corps Commander – RADM Sousa Pereira;
Spanish Landing Force Commander – BGEN Javier Hertfelder de Aldecoa;
Commander Amphibious Task Force - RADM Martorell Lacave;
Spanish Defense and Navy Attache – CAPT(N) Diaz del Rio;
Commander of the Landing Force - COL Juan Montero Pado;
COMGRUEUROMARFOR - CAPT(N) Domingo Gómez-Pamo Guerra.
COMEUROMARFOR (Admiral ALFLOT, Vice-admiral Santiago Bolíbar) and SPANISH MARINE CORPS COMMANDER (Divisional General Jesús Vicente Fernandez).
Re-embark of the landing force.
Re-embark of the landing force.
Amphibious vehicles sailing to the mother ships ESPS Juan Carlos I and ESPS Castilla.
Admiral COMEUROMARFOR/ALFLOT sailing to ESPS Juan Carlos I.
Juan Carlos I has a garage for heavy vehicles, of 3000 m2, that communicates to stern with the dock, that has capacity similar to the one of the LPD of the Galicia class, being able to lodge up to four LCM-1e boats or one LCAC.