Today, the Spanish Navy reported that its frigate Méndez Núñez has officially joined the British aircraft carrier strike group led by HMS Prince of Wales as part of its Indo-Pacific deployment, also known as Highmast, in which it will participate for the next four months. The vessel departed from the Ferrol Naval Arsenal in Galicia and spent the past few days conducting various activities to enhance interoperability with other units assigned to the mission, while its commanders have already participated in the first command conference held aboard the British flagship.
According to the official statement from the Spanish Defence Staff, the Méndez Núñez has already established communication and command networks to work jointly with the deployed forces, which, in addition to Royal Navy ships, include Canadian and Norwegian elements, all under the leadership of Commodore James Blackmore aboard the aircraft carrier (who has already visited the Spanish ship to become familiar with its capabilities). Furthermore, the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate has taken part in exercises acting as an “adversary ship” to the Carrier Strike Group to enhance the task force’s readiness levels.
Commenting on these developments, the Méndez Núñez‘s commanding officer, Commander Jaime Salvador Muñoz-Delgado Pérez, stated: “This rapid and effective integration into the naval group demonstrates the high degree of interoperability with our allies, with whom we share NATO-standard procedures, as well as the high level of training of the ship’s crew. Additionally, the warm welcome from Commodore Blackmore and the commanders of the participating ships, along with the spirit of camaraderie among all, have greatly facilitated our integration.”
It is worth recalling that the extensive preparation process for the Méndez Núñez to participate in Highmast began last September, when the ship completed its “scheduled immobilization period.” Since then, the vessel and its crew underwent a series of national-level exercises to achieve the necessary operational qualification to join the Strike Group (successfully obtained in January), as well as carrying out the usual procurement of supplies and spare parts to support the extended deployment far from home.
Finally, to briefly review the nature of Operation Highmast, it is important to note that it represents the Royal Navy’s most significant deployment planned for this year. The operation will involve an eight-month journey featuring a wide range of combined exercises and official visits to various allied nations. Led by HMS Prince of Wales (fielding an embarked air wing centered around 24 F-35 fighters), the task force will also include the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, and the support ship RFA Tidespring. Additionally, Canada will contribute the frigate HMCS Ville de Québec, while Norway has deployed the tanker HNoMS Maud and the frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen. Altogether, the initial stages of the deployment involve more than 2,500 personnel, a number expected to grow to around 4,500 later on.
Image credits: Spanish Defence Staff (EMAD)
You may also like: The Spanish patrol vessel BAM Audaz monitored the transit of a Russian Navy amphibious assault ship and a frigate between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
