Frag Out! Magazine

Frag Out! Magazine #29

Frag Out! Magazine

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The ALTAMAR Plan The ALTAMAR Plan has had the biggest impact on the current shape of the Spanish fleet. Having been developed and adopted in 1990, the plan was associated with a necessity to carry out an extensive mod- ernization of the Spanish Navy. The bulk of it, namely the escort ves- sels, landing vessels and supply vessels as well, was reaching the end of its lifetime. Responding to that problem, the authorities launched an ambitious modernization program. That program was to result in the acquisition of new vessels, domestically. Not only was it the main objective of the program to replace the obsolete warships in a 1 for 1 manner, as the program was also aimed at relevantly enhancing and improving the Armada Española capabilities. Alvaro de Bazan frigates, Galicia-class landing platform docks duo, Cantabria, and Patiño supply vessels or Segura class minehunters can be listed among the tangible results of all of the undertaken actions. The Navy also decided to pro- cure the NH90 multi-role helicopters. All of the vessels listed above currently form a relevant portion of the Spanish potential. The only warship-focused program that cannot be considered to be a success was the S-80 submarines project. The final stage of the ALTAMAR implementation process began in 2008, at the onset of the economic crisis that impacted Spain significantly. The crisis created a necessity to introduce drastic cuts in the area of public spending, defense expenditure included. As a result of these steps, the modernization of the fleet was hampered, as the limitations and cuts impacted virtually all of the planned upgrade programs. The Spanish economy is in better shape now. This has a direct, beneficial impact on the state's budget. This, on the other hand, translates into better financing prospects for the military, Navy included, being a rel- evant pillar of national security. It also means that the decision-mak- ers are willing to go back to the ambitious plans that have been made years ago, to recover some of the capabilities lost back then. The ap- proved development plans adopted by the Spanish fleet assume that the service would expand or obtain capabilities in key areas, over the upcoming decade. This includes the presence of the Navy in the areas of involvement, missile defense (capacity to detect and act against bal- listic missiles) and power projection in the land domain (with the use of cruise missiles; as for now it is not clear whether these would be carried by surface combatants or submarines). NAVY

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