Spain will send the F100 type / Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate Cristóbal Colón (F105) to Cyprus in the company of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, according to a Spanish Ministry of Defense (MoD) press release issued today. Replenishment oiler Cantabria (A15) will also support the French carrier strike group (CSG) as it transits off the Spanish coast.
Spanish MoD press release – Translated by Naval News
The Cristóbal Colón joined the Charles de Gaulle Maritime Task Group on March 3rd to carry out escort, protection, and advanced training duties in the Baltic Sea. The group will now head to the Mediterranean, arriving off the coast of Crete around March 10th.
The supply ship Cantabria will also briefly put to sea to supply fuel and provide logistical support during the CSG’s transit through the Gulf of Cadiz.
The Cristóbal Colón is our most technologically advanced frigate. Its mission in the Mediterranean will be to provide air defense and protection, thus complementing the capabilities of our Patriot battery deployed in Turkey. It will also be on standby to support any evacuation of civilian personnel who may be affected by the conflict.
With the deployment of the Cristóbal Colón, Spain demonstrates its commitment to the defense of the European Union and its eastern border.
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Naval News comments:
French president Emmanuel Macron announced this week that he retasked aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort to the Eastern Mediterranean. In addition, Aquitaine-class FREMM frigate Languedoc is tasked with protecting Cyprus and two surface combatants will be deployed to the Red Sea in support of European mission ASPIDES.
The UK ministry of defense also announced that a Royal Navy Daring-class Type 45 destroyer was dispatched to Cyprus to protect British interests there. The moves come after a UK air base was targeted by Iranian-made drones on Monday.
