Minehunter “TAJO” (M-36)

The Commanding Officer of the minehunter ‘Tajo’ (M-36) welcomes you and invites you to visit this website. This unit belongs to the 1st Minehunter Squadron of the MCM Force with home port in Cartagena (Murcia).

These minehunters are equipped with state-of-the-art systems which makes them most suitable for mine sweeping and hunting activities. The ‘Tajo’ is named after a Spanish river that is born in Albarracín and flows into the Atlantic in the city of Lisbon. The river passes through Toledo whose imperial eagle in its coat of arms is used in the M-36 emblem.

Displacement: 583 tons.

Length: 54 meters.

Beam: 9,5 m.

Draft: 2,5 m.

Max speed: 14 Knots.

Propulsion: 2 plants with 2 Diesel MTU-BAZAN engines 6V 396 TB83; 2 electric engines for low speeds; Voith-Schneider helical propellers

The main task of nay minehunter is the detection, identification, and neutralization of bottom and moored mines, as well as sea floor surveying and mapping. NATO and EU missions entrusted to the MCM community are:

In peacetime:

• Survey routes and port approaches.
• Guide high value assets and shipping control.
• Control of historical wreckages.

In wartime:

• Mine sweeping.
• Guide other ships through mine-cleared routes.

The ship’s home port is Cartagena Naval Base where the MCM Squadron, COMANDRAG-1 and other Spanish Navy ships are stationed.

The ‘Tajo’ has a VDS AN/SQQ-32 sonar, a remote controlled ‘Pluto Plus’ submarine and MINESNIPER vehicles.

The ship has a sophisticated navigation system and an integrated command and control system for information and operations management like the integrated Platform Control SICP COMPLEX system.

She also has a positioning and manoeuver control system to sail and be able to conduct automatic mine-hunting operations.

MCM WARFARE

• Navigation radar.
• Navigation and positioning sensor.
• Navigation processor.
• Ship control system.
• Tactical console tables.
• Electronic server.
• Remote-controlled vehicles to neutralize all types of mines.
• 20 mm. machine-gun.
• Two craft.
• A hyperbaric chamber.

The ship has a good maneuverability thanks to her excellent electro-mechanical configuration:

PROPULSION PLANT

• CODOE (Diesel and Electric propulsion).
• 2 main DIESEL magnetic engines.
• 2 electric propulsion engines for detection at low speeds.
• 2 VOITH SCHNEIDER helical propellers.

The ‘Tajo’ has a reduced acoustic-magnetic signature, a reinforced plastic hull meeting NATO standards, a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) protection system and an efficient damage control system.

The ‘Tajo’ (M-36) is the sixth unit of the ‘Segura’-class minehunters. She was built by Bazán (former IZAR) in Cartagena. She was launched in June 2004 and delivered to the Spanish Navy on January 10th 2005.

The Battle Ensign was presented in Fuengirola by the Mayoress of the city Esperanza Oña Sevilla on October 18th 2008.

This is the third ship in the Spanish Navy with the same name. The first ‘Tajo’ was the sixth of ten river gunboats built in France and designed to defend the riverbanks of the Bidasoa, Ebro and Nervión rivers during the Third Carlist War. The second ‘Tajo’ was a minesweeper built in Tampa (Florida) and delivered to the Spanish Navy on June 9th 1959, being decommissioned in January 2002.

The crew consists of 42 people: 1 Lieutenant-Commander, 6 officers, 14 NCOs and 21 seamen and ratings.

The ship usually embarks divers from the MCM Diving unit, specifically trained to neutralize, deactivate and destroy all sort of mines, as well as military nurses from the MCM Force.

The ship has carried out multiple international deployments with EUROMARFOR in 2009 and NATO’s Mine Countermeasures Force (SNMCMG-2) in the year 2011 when she was deployed in the Persian Gulf for 4 months.

There were 3 further deployments with SNMCMG-2 in 2017, 2019 and 2021. In the last tour the M-36 travelled to Black Sea and visited the Ukraine.

In January 2019 she became the first minehunter to be A1 certified which allows her to operate in high intensity scenarios. The M-36 has actively participated in Operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean.

Other national and international missions and port clearance operations include: ‘Italian Minex’, ‘Olives Noires’ and ‘Innas Bahr’.

She has also been the only foreign ship to visit the Turkish city of Erdek in 2015.