Spanish Navy will invest 24 million euros in a new multipurpose vessel, with towing capacity

This is a ship with similar characteristics to Carnota, second-hand vessel acquired for 15 million and built by the Spanish shipyard Zamakona Yard

Spanish Navy continues its roadmap for auxiliary vessels fleet renewal. Spanish Government has approved this week a contract for the purchase of a new multipurpose vessel with a high sea towing capacity for 24 million euros. The vessel will be the second of the new Carnota class. The ship, which gives its name to this class, will officially enter service before the end of the year, although it has been part of the Navy ships list since the end of 2023 and has already passed the operational evaluation phase, as reported by Infodefensa.com.

Spanish Navy is looking for a ship with similar characteristics to the Carnota, acquired second-hand for 15 million euros. This ship was built by the Spanish shipyard Zamakona Yard based in Pasajes (Guipúzcoa) in 2014 and acted as a support vessel for oil platforms in the North Sea during its first ten years of life.

The new contract is part, explains the subsequent reference to the Council of Ministers, of the process of replacing "the obsolete auxiliary ships of the Navy with the aim of contributing to Joint Force in transport, general logistical support, towing and rescue tasks, essential for Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence operations and for support to response operations, as well as to support other State Administrations."

The Navy could opt, as in the case of the Carnota, for a second-hand ship, although for the price the contract it would also be possible to buy a newly built ship. In fact, the Norwegian shipowner Atlantic paid Zamakona Yard 24 million euros in 2014 for the construction of the Carnota - formerly Ocean Osprey.

Renewal of auxiliary fleet
The purchase of a second tug after the Carnota is part of a broader plan by the Spanish Navy to renew its auxiliary fleet. This plan includes the second logistics transport vessel, El Camino Español, which will begin operating this year, and two new coastal patrol vessels, the Isla de León, delivered in 2022, and the Isla Pinto, in 2023, based in Ceuta and Melilla, respectively.
Two training boats (Guardiamarina Godínez and Guardiamarina Herrero) have also recently entered service for the Military Naval School, four roadstead tugs (Y-127, Y-128, Y-12 and Y-130) to reinforce the naval train of the arsenals and two of the three new pushers that will support the new S-80 submarines.

(Source: La Razón)