Frigate ‘Santa María’ (F-81) escorts the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier (CSG-12) of the Carrier Strike Group as it passes through the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar

 The Navy ship joined the United States Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12) during its transit through waters of national interest

The frigate ‘Santa María’ (F-81) escorted the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CSG-12) Combat Group during its transit through the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar.

In addition, the frigate ‘Santa María’ carried out surveillance tasks, reaffirming the Navy’s commitment to maritime security, situational awareness and regional stability. With this deployment, Spain is also contributing to the maritime presence in an area of great strategic importance for Spain.

With this integration, Spain and the United States strengthen their strategic ties in the naval domain and increase their combined capacity for action in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Their coordinated presence at key points highlights their mutual commitment to the stability and security of maritime routes.

This activity has been carried out within the framework of presence, surveillance and deterrence operations (OPVD in Spanish) in waters of permanent interest, with the frigate integrated into the Maritime Operational Command (MOM in Spanish) and under the operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS in Spanish).

The CSG-12 left the Norfolk and Yorktown naval bases on 24 June for its deployment in the area of responsibility of the U.S. European Command (EUCOM). This combat group, considered the largest in the U.S. Navy, is composed of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest and most modern nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, with nine squadrons of the Carrier Air Wing (CVW), the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, assigned to Destroyer Squadron Two (DESRON 2) USS Winston S. Churchill (DGG-81), USS Mitscher (DGG -57) and USS Bainbridge (DGG-96), and the logistics support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6). In total, it has some 4,500 sailors on board.

The incorporation of the Spanish Navy’s frigate (F-81) into this combat group demonstrates the trust and recognition of our naval capabilities and reinforces the interoperability between our Navy and that of our allies.

Maritime Operational Command (MOM)

The Maritime Operational Command (MOM in Spanish) is the body of the operational structure of the Spanish Armed Forces, subordinate to the Chief of Defence (CHOD) and responsible, at its level, for planning, conducting and monitoring permanent surveillance and security operations in maritime areas of sovereignty, responsibility and national interest. It is under the command of the Admiral of Maritime Action (ALMART) and is based in the Headquarters of Cartagena.

Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations

Presence, Surveillance and Deterrence Operations are an effective strategy for maintaining surveillance of sovereign spaces, enabling the early detection of any type of threat, deterring potential criminal acts and, if needed, facilitating an immediate and viable response to a potential crisis.

The Land (MOT), Maritime (MOM), Air (MOA), Space (MOESPA) and Cyberspace (MOC) Operational Commands the Permanent Operational organizations.