LPD ‘Castilla’ left Rota Naval Base to integrate into Operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean.

LPD ‘Castilla’ left Rota Naval Base to integrate into Operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean.

Saturday, January 30th 2021

The amphibious ship ‘Castilla’ has just sailed from Rota Naval Base to join ‘EU-NAVFOR Somalia’, also known as Operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean.

In order to safeguard the health and safety of the crew, an austere farewell ceremony, presided over by the Fleet Commander, Admiral Antonio Martorell Lacave, was held on the ship's deck but without the attendance of guests or family members.

The main objective of this European Union mission is to protect World Food Program (WFP) ships, as well as other vulnerable vessels transiting the area, and to fight piracy in the waters of the Gulf of Aden and the eastern basin of Somalia.

For this mission, the ‘Castilla’ has an embarked an AB-212 helicopter and the unmanned aerial system ‘Scan Eagle’ which provides the ship with new capabilities in surveillance missions and real-time imaging. The ship will also operate two LCM boats from the ‘Naval Beach Group’, a medical team and a Marine Corps Operational Security Team. The total crew for this mission add up to 256 people who will be deployed until the next month of June. The ship is under command of Captain Eduardo Guitián Crespo.

About the landing platform dock (LPD) ‘Castilla’

LPD ‘Castilla’ (L-52), second unit of the ‘Galicia’ class, was built Navantia in Ferrol. The ship was launched in June 1999 and delivered to the Spanish Navy on June 26, 2000, replacing the old attack transport ship ‘Aragón’ (L-22). The current ‘Castilla’ is the twelfth ship in the history of the Navy with this name.

Designed to transport troops and vehicles and to operate with amphibious craft in her dock and with helicopters on her flight deck, the main mission of this ship is to carry out amphibious operations. The ample and modern capabilities also allow her to participate in peacekeeping and humanitarian aid operations, thanks to the onboard medical and surgical facilities. LPDs can likewise operate in support of local populations in the event of natural disasters.

The ‘Castilla’ has participated in several operations and exercises both national and international, with special mention of the humanitarian aid mission ‘Hispaniola’ in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. In the years 2012 and 2018 the ‘Castilla’ also deployed along the coasts of the Gulf of Aden to participate in Operation ‘Atalanta’, so this is the third time she takes part in this EU-led operation.

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LPD ‘Castilla’ left Rota Naval Base to integrate into Operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean.