From the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic Ocean: Three changes of command underline the expeditionary capability of the Armada.

The Commanding Officers of the LHD ‘Juan Carlos I’, F-100 frigate ‘Blas de Lezo’ and the MC’s Naval Beach Group have conducted a handover of command off the East Coast of the Unites States after two-year tenures operating those units from the Baltic Sea to the Western Atlantic Ocean.

The Armada continues to demonstrate its capability to maintain a high level of operational activity simultaneously in different strategic theaters, with units deployed in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Indian Ocean, West Africa, and the East Coast of the United States, making a permanent contribution to maritime security and to the commitments undertaken by Spain within NATO and the European Union.

In this context of intense international activity, three of the units comprising the Expeditionary Strike Group ‘Despliegue Atlántico 26' carried out a change of command ceremony while sailing in international waters, shortly before entering Norfolk Naval Base (Virginia, USA), after wrapping up their participation in the multinational exercise FLEETEX250.

The change of command takes on a particularly symbolic meaning, as the three outgoing CO’s assumed command of their respective units two years ago in Helsinki and are now handing it over in Norfolk, reflecting the expeditionary nature of the Fleet and the Armada's capability to project and sustain its units wherever they are needed. During this period, these units have participated in exercises, operations, and deployments that have taken them from the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic coast of the United States.

"A change of command is always one of the most important milestones in the career of a Navy officer," stated the outgoing commander of the Naval Beach Group, Lieutenant Commander Juan Ros, who handed over command to Lieutenant Commander Manuel Beltrán. "Furthermore, in my case, it has been doubly special, as I was fortunate enough to take command in Helsinki, on the other side of the Baltic Sea, and I am handing it over to the next CO on the east coast of the United States, in Norfolk. This demonstrates the expeditionary nature of the Naval Beach Group, an elite unit that is always ready to operate in any domain," added Lieutenant Commander Ros.

"Taking command of the Naval Beach Group is a source of immense pride for me, and it entails a commitment to maintaining the high level of readiness and professionalism achieved by this unit thanks to the endeavors of its members and its outgoing commander," stated Lieutenant Commander Beltrán.

The same feeling is shared by the other two outgoing commanders, who also assumed command in Helsinki and are now handing it over in Norfolk. "After two years as commanding officer of the frigate 'Blas de Lezo,' I am happy to have had the opportunity to lead one of the finest ships ever built in Spain and Europe, and to have carried the name of such an illustrious Spanish naval officer –Blas de Lezo– in numerous operations and exercises from the Eastern Mediterranean to the American Atlantic coast, including the Baltic Sea," declared Commander Pedro Ramos, upon handing over command of the F-103 to Commander Santiago Santamaría.

Finally, Captain Santiago Martínez Mata handed over command of the LHD 'Juan Carlos I' to Captain Alfredo Saco. The outgoing commander recalled “the intense activity carried out during the last two years, with deployments from the Baltic to the Aegean Sea, participation in the operation to support the population of Valencia after last year’s devastating floods, and the ship's first transatlantic crossing”. The new commander, for his part, emphasized “the responsibility of assuming command of the Armada's flagship and the pride of returning to a unit in whose construction and initial voyages he was part of the crew.”

EXPEDITIONARY STRIKE GROUP 'DESPLIEGUE ATLÁNTICO 26'

Following their participation in the multinational exercise FLEETEX250, the units of 'Despliegue Atlántico 26' will participate in the International Naval Review scheduled in New York to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States and the creation of its Navy. Afterwards, they will begin their transit back to Spanish territory, during which the Spanish Maritime Forces Headquarters (SPMARFOR) will assume command of NATO's Commander Task Force Atlantic (CTF ATLANTIC), responsible for the surveillance and protection of the North Atlantic area of responsibility.

Commanded by the Vice Admiral Commander of the High Readiness Maritime Headquarters (CGMAD) and SPMARFOR, 'Despliegue Atlántico 26' is made up of the LHD 'Juan Carlos I', the F-100 frigate 'Blas de Lezo', the F-80 frigate 'Reina Sofía' and the AOR ship 'Patiño', in addition to a Reinforced Landing Group. In total, this force comprises approximately 2,500 military personnel, showing the Armada's capability, readiness, interoperability and commitment to sustained operations wherever national and allied interests so demand.