Spain and Australia have agreed today that the Combat Supply Ship Cantabria will operate with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from February to November 2013. This deployment will be the longest and most extensive that the Navy ship will have made to date.
Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral General Manuel Rebollo, and his Australian counterpart, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, have signed this morning at the Naval Museum of Madrid an agreement to improve the interoperability of both navies and demonstrate the ability of the ship to assist in the preparation of logistical support to the Australian Navy.
The long history of collaboration between the Spanish Navy and the Royal Australian Navy was reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Ministries of Defence of both countries in 2008. Both navies have collaborated in the exchange of ship design requirements, the support of the Navy to the RAN and exchange of information and experience of operational use of similar vessels.
The agreement signed today will allow our modern logistic ship to reach a high degree of readiness. Australia will bear the cost of the activity of Cantabria.
During deployment, the Spanish ship will participate in various exercises with ships and helicopters of the RAN, culminating with participation in the International Naval Review to be held in Australia in October 2013.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, July 4, 2012; Image: Royal Australian Navy