The fleet replenishment ship ‘Cantabria’ concludes her participation in the International Fleet Review organized by the Royal Australian Navy.

The fleet replenishment ship ‘Cantabria’ has actively participated in the International Fleet Review (IFR) organized by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to celebrate the Centenary of the arrival of the first Australian Fleet at Sydney.

The IFR was attended by more than 40 warships from all over the world. The participating units anchored in Jervis Bay on October 2nd to coordinate the programmed schedule of activities. Next day, a fleet of 25 warships from 18 different nations proceeded towards Sydney.

On October 4th the ships arrived and transited through the harbor like the first RAN Fleet 100 years ago. On this occasion, the Fleet was divided into five Squadrons and the ‘Cantabria’ had the honor of commanding the 5th Squadron.

The Governor General of Australia reviewed the ships and different military parades with sailors from several ships marched past the streets of Sydney.

During the two Open Doors days the ‘Cantabria’ welcomed more than 2,500 people on board.

Celebration of the Spanish National Day

The Spanish Ambassador in Australia, Enrique Viguera presided over the reception held on board the ‘Cantabria’ on the occasion of our National Day.

Apart from the Ambassador, other military and civilian authorities also attended the festivities, among them the Spanish Fleet Commander (ALFLOT), Admiral Santiago Bolivar, the General Consul of Spain in Sydney, Álvaro Iranzo, the Australian Fleet Commander, Admiral Tim Barret and many other representatives from Sydney and New South Wales as well as members of the Spanish community in Australia.

During the ceremony several decorations were granted to people who have decisively contributed to strengthening the relations between Spain and Australia. The ALFLOT decorated Captain Guy Holthouse with the Naval Merit Cross, while the Spanish Ambassador decorated Gonzalo Mateo-Guerrero with the Commendation of the Civil Merit order. Captain Holthouse had previously been Defense Attaché of Australia in Spain. He is currently Deputy Chief of the Australian Surface Forces and was a key figure for the excellent integration of the ‘Cantabria’ in the Royal Australian Navy.

Mateo-Guerrero is the Sales Manager of Navantia and was decorated for his endeavors to win the contract for the shipbuilding of two LHDs and three ‘Hobart’-class destroyers for the Royal Australian Navy.

During the reception, ALFLOT presented his Australian counterpart with facsimiles of drawings and charts of Sydney bay made by Malaspina during his stay in Australia in 1793; just five years after the British first settled in the Continent.

Second stage of exercises ‘Triton Centenary 2013’

The Spanish replenishment ship will set sail again to start the second stage of the multinational exercises ‘Triton Centenary 2013’ which will be her last deployment with RAN units before returning to Spain on November 1st.