The frigate “Méndez Núñez” makes a stopover in Panama

·         The Spanish Navy´s ship has docked in Balboa before crossing the Panama Canal

The frigate “Méndez Núñez” has made, this Sunday, 3rd November, its entrance into the Naval Base Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The stopover aims to guarantee the right to vote to the crew in the next Spanish general elections, and to conduct diplomacy defence activities, before crossing the Panama Canal. This will put an end to the deployment commemorating the 5^th Centenary of the first round-the-world travel.

During this ship´s stopover in Balboa, the Commander of the Operations Command, the Lieutenant General Fernando José López del Pozo, responsible of all the operations conducted by the Spanish Armed Forces, will be on board the frigate to share some time with its crew, taking advantage of the passage through the Canal. The visit of the Spanish Ambassador to Panama in the port is also scheduled.

Likewise, the Commander of “Méndez Núñez”, Frigate Captain Antonio González-Tanago de la Lastra, has hold an informational conference about the circumnavigation of Juan Sebastián Elcano at the headquarters of the Spanish Society of Charity.

After crossing the Canal, the ship will execute a logistics stopover at the Naval Station Norfolk, in Virginia (USA), to then return to its Naval Base in Ferrol at the end of November.

The frigate “Méndez Núñez” has a modern design and prominent military capabilities that allow the Spanish Navy to contribute to the achievement of the National Defence objectives at the beginning of this new century. It was built in Navantia´s shipyards in Ferrol, and it was given to the Spanish Army on 21^st March 2006, named for the distinguished Spanish naval officer Mr. Casto Méndez Núñez. It consists on 214 troops, including officers, non-commissioned officers and ship´s crew, a team of men and women that take pride of serving Spain from the sea.