Minehunter “SEGURA” (M-31)

The Commanding Officer of minehunter ‘Segura’ welcomes you and invites you to visit this website.

The M-31 is the first unit of a 6-ship series. Her mission is to ‘hunt’ mines, searching, detecting pinpointing and neutralizing mines with the help of divers and the ‘Pluto Plus’ and ‘Minesniper’ vehicles.

This unit belongs to the 1st Minehunter Squadron of the MCM Force with home port in Cartagena (Murcia).

Displacement: 583 tons.

Length: 54 m.

Beam: 10,7 m.

Draft: 2,5 m.

Max speed: 14 Knots.

Propulsion: 2 plants with 2 Diesel MTU-BAZAN engines 6V 396 TB83; 2 electric engines for low speeds; Voith-Schneider helical propellers

The main task of any minehunter is the detection, identification, and neutralization of bottom and moored mines, as well as sea floor surveying and mapping.

The ship operates at national and international level defending the maritime interests of Spain under the aegis of NATO and the EU.

In peacetime:

• Survey routes and port approaches.
• Guide high value assets and shipping control.
• Control of historical wreckages.

In wartime:

• Mine sweeping.
• Guide other ships through mine-cleared routes.

The ship’s home port is Cartagena Naval Base where the MCM Squadron, COMANDRAG-1 and other Spanish Navy ships are stationed.

The ‘Segura’ has a VDS AN/SQQ-32 sonar, a remote controlled ‘Pluto Plus’ submarine and MINESNIPER vehicles.

The ship has a sophisticated navigation system and an integrated command and control system for information and operations management like the integrated Platform Control SICP COMPLEX system.

She also has a positioning and manoeuver control system to sail and be able to conduct automatic mine-hunting operations.

Systems and equipment permit to operate in mine infested areas to search, classify and destroy those mines.

MCM WARFARE

• Navigation radar
• Navigation and positioning sensor
• Navigation processor
• Ship control system
• Tactical console tables
• Electronic server
• Remote-controlled vehicles to neutralize all types of mines
• 20 mm. machine-gun
• Two craft
• A hyperbaric chamber

The ship has a good maneuverability thanks to her excellent electro-mechanical configuration.

PROPULSION PLANT

• CODOE (Diesel and Electric propulsion)
• 2 main DIESEL magnetic engines
• 2 electric propulsion engines for detection at low speeds
• 2 VOITH SCHNEIDER helical propellers

The ‘Segura’ has a reduced acoustic-magnetic signature, a reinforced plastic hull meeting NATO standards, a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) protection system and an efficient damage control system.

The ‘Segura’ (M-31) is the first unit of this class of minehunters. She was built by Bazán in Cartagena.

She was launched in July 1997 and delivered to the Spanish Navy on April 27th 1999.

The Battle Ensign was presented in Cartagena by the Mayoress of the city Pilar Barreiro on February 20th 2004.

The ship is named after a river that is born in Albacete, crosses Murcia and flows into the Mediterranean in Alicante. She is the second ship in the Spanish Navy with this name.

The first ‘Segura’ was a minesweeper built in Tampa (Florida) and delivered to the Spanish Navy in December 1949. The ship was decommissioned in November 1973.

The crew consists of 42 people: 1 Lieutenant-Commander, 6 officers, 14 NCOs and 21 seamen and ratings.

The ship usually embarks divers from the MCM Diving unit, specifically trained to neutralize, deactivate and destroy all sort of mines, as well as military nurses from the MCM Force.

The ship has carried out multiple international deployments with NATO’s Mine Countermeasures Force (SNMCMG-2).

Other national and international missions and port clearance operations include: ‘Italian Minex’, ‘Olives Noires’, ‘Innas Bahr’ and ‘Spanish Minex’.