The "Patiño" combat supply ship and the "Méndez Núñez" frigate leave Ferrol to join the Permanent Naval Group of NATO N.2... the Navy once again shows its commitment to the Atlantic Alliance

The "Patiño" combat supply ship and the "Méndez Núñez" frigate sailed from the Ferrol Military Arsenal to the Mediterranean, where they will be integrated into the Permanent Naval Group of NATO No. 2 (SNMG-2), and more specifically in its subgroup TU.02, which since last January 15, is in command of the Commander of the 31 Escoltas Squad, captain of the ship Rubén Rodríguez Peña. The frigate "Méndez Nuñez" will relieve the frigate "Admiral Juan de Borbón" as the command ship of the group SNMG-2 TU.02, while the "Patiño" will provide operational logistical support to all the naval units of the group as well as to the Spanish ships operating in the area, such as the frigate "Canarias," which is part of the operation EUNAVFORMED Sophia to combat the illegal traffic of people in the Mediterranean. During this deployment, both ships will make a call in ports of Italy, Greece, Turkey and Tunisia, also participating in the multinational anti-submarine exercises "Dynamic Manta," which will take place in Sicilian waters.

The "Patiño" combat supply ship
The "Patiño," which was delivered to the Navy in 1995, has a strength of 150 people and a capacity of approximately 9,000 cubic meters of fuel and 2,000 cubic meters for ammunition, material and food, which can supply a Naval Force at sea.
It can also provide health care with its hospital facilities and logistical support in non-war operations such as humanitarian aid and environmental defence. It also has several capabilities that can be developed in a similar way to that of a frigate, such as those relating to maritime safety (maritime traffic control, visit and registration, counter-piracy) or flight operations.

The frigate "Méndez Núñez"With a number of F-104, it is the fourth frigate of the "Alvaro de Bazan" class. Its AEGIS combat system, coupled with the SPY-1D multifunction radar, provides a great capacity for air warfare. The ship's commander is Captain Miguel Ramón Cuartero Lorenzo.For this deployment, it also has a SH-60B helicopter from the Tenth Air Squad on board and a Navy Infantry Security (EOS) operational team, which strengthens its capabilities.