(P-43) "RELÁMPAGO"
Ships
The Commanding Officer of the offshore patrol vessel (OPV) “Relámpago” welcomes you and invites you to visit this website. The “Relámpago” was built by NAVANTIA in San Fernando as the third unit of a series of four; her home port is Las Palmas Naval Station (Canary Islands).
| DISPLACEMENT | 2,670 tons |
|---|---|
| LENGTH | 93.9 meters |
| BEAM | 14.2 m. |
| PROPULSION | 2 MTU 16 V 1163 Diesel engines and a SIEMENS electric engine. 2 variable pitch propellers. 1 fore propeller for transverse thrust. An electric plant with 4 diesel generators. |
| AIRCRAFT | Flight deck: 24.5 x 13.5 meters Capability to operate AB 212s, SH-3Ds, SH-60Bs and UAVs. Hangar for 1 helicopter. All-weather operations. VERTREP and HIFR. Helicopter maintenance workshop. Flight control station. |
| CREW | 46 |
| WEAPONS | One 76/62 OTO-MELARA gun. Two Mk-38 MOD 2A machineguns. 4 SRBOC Mk-36 Chaff launchers. |
| SENSORS | DORNA 2 Fire Control. SCOMBA Combat System. Navigation and control radar HC ARIES 2. Navigation radar SPERRY VISION MASTER FT Electronic Warfare RIGEL with capability for ELINT modules. IFF CIT-25D TACAN NAVIGATIONAL SET MM-6800 |
| MISCELLANEOUS | 2 RHIBs. 1 cargo crane. |
The ship was designed to carry out two types of military missions: the first, Sea Control in low intensity scenarios, including blue waters and far-off littoral areas (up to 3,500 miles from national territory). The second type: surveillance, control and cooperation operations, mainly within the Exclusive Economic Zone and adjacent areas. Both types include tasks such as shipping control, merchant traffic protection, intelligence, VBSS (visit, board, search seizure) missions, protection against terrorist attacks and piracy, etc.
Our home port is Las Palmas Naval Station (Canary Islands).
The ship has a 76mm OTO MELARA gun, 2 MK 38 MOD 2A machineguns, 2 “Browning” machineguns and 2 MINIMI machineguns. Portable weapons include HK rifles, pistols, grenades and shotguns.
“Relámpago” (P-43) is the third “Meteoro”-class offshore patrol vessel and the ninth Spanish Navy vessel with that name. Others were: a Fire Ship launched in 1773; a Felucca which helped to seize the British pirate ship “Victory” (1800); a gunboat built in 1758; a 20 gun corvette built in Bayonne and operational from 1827 to 1832; a coastguard serving in Algeciras until 1900; a tug; a gunboat built in the USA which operated in Cuba until 1897, and a fast frigate from the 21st Escort Squadron and decommissioned in 1975.
The crew consists of 46 people: 6 officers, 10 NCOs and 30 seamen and ratings. All of them have been trained in different naval schools and academies: Marín, San Fernando and Ferrol.
It depends on whether the ship is docked or sailing. At sea, the ship sails at three watches. Apart from surveillance tasks, the ship carries out maintenance, cleaning and training exercises.
While berthed, her main activities relate to personnel training and maintenance, to keep the ship fully operational.
Since her delivery to the Spanish Navy, the “Relámpago” has been engaged in personnel training and sea trials to check all systems, sensors and equipment. The P-43 is also getting ready to deploy in the Horn of Africa.