Spain to withdraw half its troops from UNIFIL in Lebanon

Spain has had about 1,100 troops in Lebanon since 2006 as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Spain will withdraw up to half of its military contingent in Lebanon by the end of the year, Defense Minister Pedro Morenes said Tuesday, justifying the decision partly on budget cuts demanded by the country's economic crisis.

Spain has had about 1,100 troops in Lebanon since 2006 as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). That outfit was originally created in 1978 to restore peace and security after Israel's withdrawal from the country.

A large part of the mission's goals had been achieved, Morenes said. He also justified the withdrawal on Spain's economic constraints, which forced the government to "rationalize" defense costs.

The initial plan had been to pull out half of the troops in 2013.

Australia and Spain Agree to Share Auxiliary Oil Replenishment Ship

 

 

The Deployment of Spanish Armada Ship Cantabria to Australia in 2013

The Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, today announced that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) would participate in a unique deployment to Australia of the Spanish Armada Ship, SPS Cantabria, with a series of training exercises in Australia from mid-February until November 2013. 

The Cantabria deployment will strengthen the bilateral relationship between Spain and Australia, as well as providing important training and capability assessment outcomes for both the Spanish Armada and the RAN.

The Cantabria is a modern Auxiliary Oil Replenishment ship, similar to HMAS Success, which is capable of supplying fuel, food, stores and ammunition to ships underway.

This will be the longest deployment undertaken by Cantabria and will allow the Spanish Armada to trial the ship’s full range of capabilities including through activities involving both Cantabria and RAN ships and helicopters.

This training program will also include an exchange program between personnel from Cantabria and RAN units.

These exercises with RAN Ships and helicopters will culminate with Cantabria’s participation in the Australian International Fleet Review in October 2013. 

The Cantabria’s deployment will also provide a valuable opportunity for the RAN to conduct early training for personnel earmarked for service in the Australian Navy’s new Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships and Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD).  

Many of Cantabria’s systems are the same as the LHDs and AWDs, which are based on Spanish ship designs.

The deployment will provide a unique opportunity for Defence to undertake an assessment of the capability offered by Cantabria as Defence considers the replacement of HMAS Success and Sirius.

The deployment of Cantabria will also reduce the capability risk during Success’ next major maintenance period in 2013.

Cantabria will augment the afloat support capability provided by HMAS Sirius.  Sirius is currently in maintenance at HMAS Stirling, which is due for completion next month.

The RAN and Spanish Armada will work together over the coming weeks to finalise the details of the deployment.

The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, will travel to Ferrol, Spain, next week to represent Australia at the launching and naming of the second LHD, the future HMAS Adelaide.

In early June, Spain had no operational submarine

The headquarters of the Spanish Navy considers that the situation now its submarine force is "unsustainable." On 4 Agosta submarines which Spain had earlier this month, none were operational, and one of them has since been permanently disarmed. The last submarine, the Galerna, early June has been a break in the wall of a ballast and had to enter the dry dock.

The Galerna should be open to the public during the "Armed Forces Day". During docking, the submarine collided with a quay of the port of Cartagena. A ballast has been pierced, and a fuel tank outside.

After this incident, the submarine was returned to the submarine base where repairs took place.

While she is still waiting for the commissioning of the first new submarine S-80, the Spanish navy remained temporarily without any operational submarine. At the accident Galerna, add the Siroco disarmament and entry into dry dock Tramontana and Mistral.

The staff indicates that this situation was predictable: it's been years that warns of an insufficient number of Spanish submarines. But, until early June, he had always remained at least one operational submarine.