The frigates Numancia, Canarias, and Almirante Juan de Borbón, along with a supply ship and a submarine, have participated this week in the anti-submarine exercise MAR ASW-23 in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar. The exercise, which concluded this Friday, took place in the waters of the Gulf of Cadiz, and in addition to the three frigates, the combat supply ship Cantabria and the submarine Galerna were also involved, as stated by the commander of the 41st Escort Squadron, Captain Ernesto Grueso García, in Ceuta.
On board the frigate Numancia, docked in the port of Ceuta alongside the frigate Juan de Borbón for the rest of the crew during the weekend, Ernesto Gruesgo stated, "We have been carrying out advanced anti-submarine training exercises in the Bay of Cadiz." These Navy exercises are organised by the 41st Escort Squadron, based in Rota, "with the participation of Spanish assets, as well as helicopters from a U.S. squadron based in Rota," said the captain.
The commander of the frigate, Alfredo Saco, mentioned that they are "in a training period after completing a period of work, system improvements, and the adaptation of living areas," adding that the ship has "an operational cycle of two years, and once it's completed, it undergoes a series of specific improvements, works, and maintenance, which is why a training period is beginning now to reach the necessary level to undertake the missions entrusted to the Navy."
The exercise was called MAR ASW-23 and focused on the area of anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The frigate Numancia belongs to the 41st Escort Squadron, it is the third of a series of six frigates based in Rota, and despite its 35 years of service, it maintains its full operational capabilities and has a continuous presence in Operation Atalanta, in the waters of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
The frigate Almirante Juan de Borbón belongs to the 31st Surface Squadron, composed of four other frigates of the "Álvaro de Bazán" class, based in Ferrol (La Coruña). These advanced and versatile ships have a continuous presence in NATO's standing naval groups, where they often act as command ships.