Galicia-class

Summary

Description

The Galicia class consists of two landing platform dock (LPD) ships, Galicia and Castilla, operating under the Spanish Navy. Their primary mission is to engage in amphibious warfare, including the transportation of the Infantería de Marina. They feature a large helicopter flight deck and a well deck designed to carry large landing craft. Additionally, they offer a considerable space capable of holding up to 33 main battle tanks. Both ships were constructed by Navantia at their shipyard in Ferrol and are currently based at the Rota naval base in Spain, with Galicia having entered service in 1998 and Castilla joining in 2000.

The design of the Galicia class is a result of a collaborative effort between Spain and the Netherlands aimed at developing a shared LPD to replace older vessels. Initiated in 1990 in the Netherlands and joined by Spain in 1991, the cooperative project gave rise to the Enforcer design, which not only underpins the Galicia class but also the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Rotterdam class and the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary Bay class.

The ships are powered by four Bazan/Caterpillar 3612 diesel engines and an electric generator tied to reduction gear. They can reach a maximum speed of 20 knots and have a noteworthy range of 6,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 knots. The flight deck of the Galicia class can support helicopter operations, and the vessels are typically equipped with a combination of AB 212 or SH-3D helicopters. Their well deck allows them to operate several types of landing craft and, with extensive vehicle parking space, they can transport a significant number of armored vehicles or main battle tanks.

The class is armed with Oerlikon Contraves 20 mm cannons and Sippican Hycor SRBOC MK36 chaff launchers for defense. Additionally, they possess air/surface search radar and friend-or-foe identification systems. The crew complement varies between Galicia and Castilla, with capacity differences also noted in the number of troops they can transport.

Throughout their operational history, both Galicia and Castilla have been actively deployed in various roles, from humanitarian aid missions following natural disasters such as Hurricane Mitch in Central America, to participating in military operations like Operation Romeo Sierra at Perejil Island. They have also played a role in environmental cleanup operations following the Prestige oil spill and provided humanitarian aid in Iraq and to earthquake-affected regions like Banda Aceh. More recently, Galicia aided in the fight against COVID-19 in Melilla, Spain. These operational instances showcase the versatility and significance of the Galicia class in the Spanish Navy and beyond.

Technical specifications