Frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ (F-105) returns to Ferrol after a three-month deployment.

F-100 frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ has just arrived at Ferrol (NW Spain) after a three and a half-month deployment integrated into the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2). These NATO standing groups are rapid reaction forces with ample capabilities and high levels of readiness and training.

The ‘Cristóbal Colón’, under command of Cdr. Santiago Vila Barrón has participated in several multinational exercises like ‘Trident Juncture 2018’ in Nordic waters, the Greek exercise ‘NAIAS 18’ and the Turkish ‘MAVI BALINA 18’ in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The F-105 also took part in Exercise ‘Sea Guardian’ in the Central Mediterranean conducting maritime security missions.

The ‘Cristóbal Colón’ has a complement of nearly 200 people. For this mission, the ship embarked an SH-60B helicopter and a Marine Corps operational security team.

The Spanish frigate has been 108 days out of her base, 88 of them at sea and 20 in different ports. She has sailed more than 20,000 nautical miles and her SH-60B helicopter flew more than 100 hours. The SNMG-2 visited the following ports: Catania (Italy), Souda (Greece), Aksaz (Turkey), Rota (Spain), Trondheim (Norway), Amsterdam (Holland), Algiers (Algeria) and Civitavecchia (Italy).

2018 has been a very intense year for the frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ with a total of 211 days out of base participating in several multinational exercises, conducting operational qualification trials and receiving her Battle Ensign in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva).