The frigate Cristóbal Colón is already in Spain (Photo Ministry of Defence)

The frigate F-105 Cristóbal Colón has docked at the 5 of the Arsenal de Ferrol at the end of its integration as a command ship in the SNMG-2, having relieved with the frigate F-104 Méndez Núñez in Constanza (Romania)... the Colón left on 4 November to the sea in demand of the Greek port of Souda, where it relieved the frigate Álvaro de Bazán... during its deployment, the endowment has participated in both NATO exercises (ZEST 20 or Dynamic Manta 21) and in actual missions patrolling the canal of the Black Sea or the presence in the Black Sea.

SNMG-2 is a permanent NATO maritime group in which naval units from the various allied countries are integrated. From last June, until the next 1 July 2021, Spain has the command of the group that falls to the Spanish counter-admiral Manuel Aguirre, embarked with his General Staff on board the frigate Méndez Núñez. The role of the Group is to provide NATO with an immediate operational reaction capacity in naval scenarios. The Navy has been in these groups for over 30 years.

The Cristóbal Colón will return to sea in early May, to participate in the Formal Shield 21 exercise... these maneuvers are organized, among others, by the Maritime Theater Missile Defense (MTMD) forum, which chairs Spain until June this year.

During this exercise, the interoperability capacity of our ships integrated into a multinational force in a multi-threat scenario will be checked, and the detection and monitoring of ballistic missiles as well as the defence of anti-ship missiles with actual missile launch will be carried out.

The F-105 contributes to the operations by providing a high capacity for air defence and detection thanks to its AEGIS combat system and the multifunction radar SPY-1D (V). The "Cristobal Colon" is the fifth frigate of the class "Alvaro de Bazan," a series of multi-purpose frigates with capacity for all kinds of scenarios... its strength is made up of 220 men and women and for the deployment with the group has also had an Operational Security Team (Marine Infantry) and a helicopter SH-60B... the ship's Commander is the frigate captain Juan Bautista Payá Martínez.