Tag Archives: Príncipe de Asturias

What could have been…

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Below we see the Kidd-class destroyer USS Scott (DDG-995)— what the Spruances should have been– seen with four vessels of the Spanish Navy: the fleet tanker Marques de la Ensenada (A-11), the 16,700-ton aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias (R11), the Baleares-class frigate Asturias (F-74) and the Santa Maria-class frigate Reina Sofía (F84), 1 February 1992 on the lead up to Dragon Hammer ’92. If you note, the Iberian flattop has six Harriers on her deck along with an SH-3 and a UH-1.

U.S. Navy photo VIRIN: DN-ST-92-09810 by PH2 Jerry M. Ireland

All except the oiler were 1970s U.S. Navy designs, so you could characterize the task force as American by proxy. The Knox-class destroyer escort/fast frigate lines of Asturias are as evident as are the Oliver Hazard Perry-class FFG format of Reina Sofía.

As for Principe de Asturias, she sprung from the Zumwalt-era idea of the Sea Control Ship, a simple light carrier/through deck cruiser that could carry a composite squadron (ala the “Jeep Carriers” of WWII) of Marine AV-8A Harriers and Navy SH-3 Sea Kings to escort convoys, protect underway replenishment groups, and bust Soviet subs.

Sea control ship outline, Janes ’73

The entry of Guam as an “interim sea control ship” in the 1973-74 Jane’s

Zumwalt’s idea was to have as many as a dozen SCSs on hand to form hunter-killer groups to ensure, well, sea control, in the event of a big blowup leading to a Red Storm Rising style Battle of the Atlantic redux.

Come to think of it, we could use a dozen of the above groups today, just saying.

Angola Gets An Aircraft Carrier (Maybe)

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Yes that’s right, added to the ranks of countries with carriers to include the US, China, France, the UK (well, they are building two new ones anyway), and India is that internationally respected naval powerhouse of Angola. It is now the only African country to have ever owned a flatop.

Príncipe de Asturias

According to Portuguese daily ECD,  the former Spanish naval jump carrier ‘Príncipe de Asturias’ will be acquired by Angola. Not for scrapping, or to be a hotel or casino, but to perform as an aircraft carrier and flagship of their navy. The 16,000-ton ship, commissioned in 1988, was just retired by Spain nine months ago. It’s argueably the lowest mileage surplus aircraft carrier on the market today.

The ship would presumably operate helicopters as their are no VTOL fixed wing aircraft currently on the market. This could prove a problem for the Angolan navy as that service has no helicopters. However, the country’s air force does operate about 70 aging Soviet Hip and Hind choppers as well as a smattering of French Alouettes, Dauphins and Gazelles.

With the sale (and an agreed refurbishment by Spanish shipyards) the African country will also (complementarity) receive three lightly armed offshore patrol boats and an amphibious assault ship that had been removed from the Spanish Naval list. These include the P-27 Ízaro (300-ton, launched 1980)  P -61 Chilreu (1900-ton, launched 1991),  F-32 Diana (1200-ton, 1979), and the L-42 Pizarro (8500-ton, formerly the 1972-era USS Harlan County LST-1196). The country is awash in new oil money and is looking to put up a naval ‘keep off the grass’ sign.

Angola’s navy, the Marinha de Guerra, currently has just 1000 officers and men and consists of a dozen near-shore Osa and Shershen type Soviet PT/FAC boats. A couple small minesweepers and landing craft serve as its blue-water force while about forty small boats handle brown water. As the Príncipe de Asturias requires a 600-person crew irregardless of any embarked air crews, coughing up some experienced (non-national?) sailors who can operate gas turbines and NATO communications suites is going to be Angola’s challenge.

How would you like to be the Logistics guy for this navy?

Pre-Owned Carrier for Sale, Cheap!

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The Spanish navy is entertaining questions, comments and concearns for those interested in in buying the ex-Spanish Navy Aircraft Carrier Principe de Asturias. The Principe de Asturias is a cute little ‘Harrier Carrier’ with a lot of life left in her. She was only driven on Sunday to police conflicts and never wrecked (which is something a lot of other carriers cant say!).

Just check her carfax if you don’t trust us.

Financing is available and cash poor countries like the Philippines (srsly?) are looking.

Any deal would include modernization at a Spanish yard. Even though she was retired by Spain it was mainly due to budgetary reasons, and the ship probably has a few more decades in her if updated. After all, look at the similarly sized Dutch carriers sold to Brazil and Argentina in the 1950s that lived on through the 1980s.

Any deal would include modernization at a Spanish yard. Even though she was retired by Spain it was mainly due to budgetary reasons, and the ship probably has a few more decades in her if updated. After all, look at the similarly sized Dutch carriers sold to Brazil and Argentina in the 1950s that lived on through the 1980s.

RIP Príncipe de Asturias

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CVV SPS “Príncipe de Asturias” is now retired this month. Ordered 29 May 1977, she was built on Admiral Zumwalt’s Sea Control ship concept of a small light carrier that could escort convoys and were expendable. Kind of the same concept as the WWII CVL and CVE types. In  a pinch, such as ship could also handle assault tasks as an LPH, render humanitarian aide, become a hospital ship, or act as a task force flag. She was 643-feet long and weighed 16,700 at full load.  Powered by the same power plant as the US FFG7 class (two LM2500 turbines) she could make 26-knots and cruise over 6500nm at 20. Capable of carrying up to 29 Harriers and helicopters, she was the backbone of the Spanish Navy during the worse years of the Cold War and into the awkward peace that followed.

Now she is laid up pending the torch, a victim of tight budgets.

Rest well Príncipe de Asturias, your mission is over.

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