View source for Spanish Navy

{{Short description|Naval warfare branch of Spain's military}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Spanish Navy
| native_name                   = {{lang|es|Armada Española}}
| image                         = Emblem of the Spanish Navy 2.svg
| image_size                    = 150px
| alt                           = 
| caption                       = [[Armorial of the Spanish Armed Forces#Navy|Emblem of the Spanish Navy]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/_inicio_home/prefLang_es/|title=Armada Española – Ministerio de Defensa – Gobierno de España|work=Armada Española|access-date=11 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707194030/http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/_inicio_home/prefLang_es/|archive-date=7 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
| start_date                    = 15th century&nbsp;
| country                       = {{flag|Spain}}
| countries                     = 
| allegiance                    = 
| branch                        = 
| type                          = [[Navy]]
| role                          = 
| size                          = 20,838 personnel (2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/espana/eh15/defensa/Paginas/index.aspx|title=España Hoy 2016-2016|work=lamoncloa.gob.es|access-date=27 May 2017|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510184930/http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/espana/eh15/defensa/Paginas/index.aspx|archive-date=10 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><br>139 ships<ref>{{cite web |title=LISTA OFICIAL DE BUQUES DE LA ARMADA |url=https://armada.defensa.gob.es/archivo/mardigitaldocinstituc/00docu-institucional-armada/04lista-oficial-buques-armada/documentos/loba2023.pdf |publisher=Spanish Navy |access-date=9 March 2024 |archive-url=https://armada.defensa.gob.es/archivo/mardigitaldocinstituc/00docu-institucional-armada/04lista-oficial-buques-armada/documentos/loba2023 |archive-date=1 January 2023}}</ref><br>54 aircraft<ref>{{cite web |title=AERONAVES MILITARES ESPAÑOLAS |url=https://aeronavesmilitaresespanolas.com |website=aeronavesmilitaresespanolas.com |access-date=9 March 2024 |archive-url=https://aeronavesmilitaresespanolas.com/floan-2/ |archive-date=14  December  2023}}</ref>
| command_structure             = [[File:Emblem of the Spanish Armed Forces.svg|25px]] [[Spanish Armed Forces]]
| garrison                      = {{plainlist|'''Headquarters''':
[[Spanish Navy Headquartes|Spanish Navy Headquarters, Madrid]]}}{{plainlist|'''Main naval bases:''' 
*[[Naval Station Rota|Naval Station of Rota]]
*[[Ferrol Naval Base|Arsenal de Ferrol]]
*[[Cartagena Naval Base|Arsenal de Cartagena]]
*Mahón Naval Station
*[[Las Palmas Naval Base|Arsenal de Las Palmas]]
*[[Arsenal de La Carraca]]
*[[Escuela Naval Militar|Naval Military School of Marín]]}}
| garrison_label                = 
| nickname                      = 
| patron                        = [[Our Lady of Mount Carmel]] (Spanish: ''Nuestra Señora del Carmen'')
| motto                         = 
| colors                        = <!-- or | colours = -->
| colors_label                  = <!-- or | colours_label = -->
| march                         = Himno de la Escuela Naval (José María Pemán)
| mascot                        = 
| anniversaries                 = 16 July
| equipment                     = 
| equipment_label               = 
| battles                       = 
| decorations                   = 
| battle_honours                = 
| battle_honours_label          = 
| flying_hours                  = 
| website                       = {{URL|http://www.armada.mde.es}}<!-- Commanders -->
| commander1                    = {{flagicon image|Estandarte Real de España.svg}} [[Felipe VI of Spain|King Felipe VI]]
| commander1_label              = [[Captain general of the Navy|Commander in Chief]]
| commander2                    = {{flagicon image|Spanish Chief of Staff of the Navy flag.png}} [[Admiral general (Spain)|Admiral general]] Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez
| commander2_label              = [[Chief of Staff of the Navy (Spain)|Admiral Chief of the Naval Staff]]
| notable_commanders            = <!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = [[File:Naval jack of Spain.svg|border|100px]]
| identification_symbol_label   = Jack
| identification_symbol_2       = [[File:Flag of Spain.svg|150px]]
| identification_symbol_2_label = Ensign<!-- Aircraft -->
| aircraft_attack               = [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|McDonnell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II+]]
| aircraft_bomber               = 
| aircraft_electronic           = 
| aircraft_fighter              = [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|McDonnell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II+]]
| aircraft_helicopter           = [[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk|Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk]]
| aircraft_helicopter_attack    = 
| aircraft_helicopter_cargo     = [[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk|Sikorsky SH-60F Seahawk]]
| aircraft_helicopter_multirole = [[Bell 212|Agusta Bell AB-212+]]
| aircraft_helicopter_observation = 
| aircraft_helicopter_transport = 
| aircraft_helicopter_trainer   = [[Eurocopter EC135|Airbus H135]]
| aircraft_helicopter_utility   = 
| aircraft_interceptor          = 
| aircraft_patrol               = 
| aircraft_recon                = [[Boeing Insitu MQ-27 ScanEagle|Boeing Institu ScanEagle]]
| aircraft_trainer              = [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II]]
| aircraft_transport            = [[Cessna Citation II|Cessna Citation]]
| aircraft_tanker               = 
| aircraft_general              = 
}}

The '''Spanish Navy''', officially the '''Armada''', is the [[Navy|maritime branch]] of the [[Spanish Armed Forces]] and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, the most famous being the [[voyages of Christopher Columbus|discovery of North America]] and the [[Magellan's circumnavigation|first global circumnavigation]]. For several centuries, it played a crucial logistical role in the expansion and consolidation of the [[Spanish Empire]], and defended a vast trade network across the Atlantic Ocean between the [[Spanish treasure fleet|Americas and Europe]], and the [[Manila Galleon]] across the Pacific Ocean between the [[Spanish East Indies|Philippines]] and the Americas.

The Spanish Navy was one of the most powerful maritime forces in the world from the late 15th century to mid-18th century.<ref name="Márquez2016">{{cite book |last1=Márquez |first1=Carlos E. |editor1-last=Tarver |editor1-first=H. Micheal |editor2-last=Slape |editor2-first=Emily |title=The Spanish Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes]: A Historical Encyclopedia |chapter=''Plus Ultra'' and the Empire Upon Which the Sun Never Set |date=2016 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1610694223 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1LCJDAAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PA161 |access-date=19 September 2022 |archive-date=14 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114124346/https://books.google.com/books?id=1LCJDAAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PA161 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the early 19th century, with the [[Spanish American wars of independence|loss of most of its empire]], the Spanish navy transitioned to a smaller fleet but it still maintained a significant shipbuilding capability and produced the first fully capable [[Peral Submarine|military submarine]]. In this time, the Spanish navy also contributed to the development of the [[Spanish warship Destructor|destroyer]] class of warship and achieved the first global circumnavigation by an [[Spanish ironclad Numancia|ironclad vessel]].

The main bases of the Spanish Navy are at [[Rota, Andalusia|Rota]], [[Ferrol, Spain|Ferrol]], [[San Fernando, Cádiz|San Fernando]] and [[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]].

==History==
===Origins: the Middle Ages===
[[File:Bataille de la Rochelle.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Battle of La Rochelle]], 1372]]
The roots of the modern Spanish Navy date back to before the unification of Spain. By the late [[Middle Ages]], the two principal kingdoms that would later combine to form Spain, [[Crown of Aragon|Aragon]] and [[Crown of Castile|Castile]], had developed powerful fleets. Aragon possessed the third largest navy in the late medieval Mediterranean, although its capabilities were exceeded by those of [[Venetian Republic|Venice]] and (until overtaken in the 15th century by those of Aragon) [[Genoese Republic|Genoa]]. In the 14th and 15th centuries, these naval capabilities enabled Aragon to assemble the largest collection of territories of any European power in the Mediterranean, encompassing the [[Balearics]], Sardinia, [[Sicily]], southern Italy and, briefly, the [[Duchy of Athens]].

Castile meanwhile used its naval capacities to conduct its [[Reconquista]] operations against the [[Moors]], capturing [[Cádiz]] in 1232 and also to help the French Crown against England in the [[Hundred Years' War]]. In 1375, a Castilian fleet destroyed a large English fleet at Bourgneuf, and Castilian ships raided the English coast. As Castile developed long-lasting trade relationships with towns in the [[Low Countries]] of the Netherlands and [[Flanders]], the [[English Channel]] virtually became the "Spanish Channel."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Riddle |first1=John M. |title=A History of the Middle Ages, 300–1500 |date=2016 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |page=459}}</ref> In 1402, a Castilian expedition led by [[Juan de Bethencourt]] conquered the [[Canary Islands]] for [[Henry III of Castile]]. In 1419, the Castilians [[Battle of La Rochelle (1419)|defeated]] the German [[Hanseatic League]] at sea and excluded them from the [[Bay of Biscay]].

In the 15th century, Castile entered into a race of exploration with [[Portuguese Empire|Portugal]], the country that inaugurated the European [[Age of Discovery]]. In 1492, two [[caravel]]s and a [[carrack]], commanded by [[Christopher Columbus]], arrived in America, on an expedition that sought a westward oceanic passage across the Atlantic, to the Far East. This began the era of trans-oceanic trade routes, pioneered by the Spanish in the seas to the west of Europe and the Portuguese to the east.

===The Habsburg era===
[[File:Placa del panteón.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|left|[[Commemorative plaque]] at [[San Fernando, Cádiz|San Fernando]]'s ''Panteón de los Marinos Ilustres'', depicting a list of victories of the [[Naval fleet|Armada]]s of Spain
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! List of ''Victories''
|-
|[[Conquest of Majorca]] 1229
|-
|[[James I of Aragon|Conquest of Menorca]] 1232
|-
|[[James I of Aragon|Conquest of Ibiza]] 1234
|-
|[[Ferdinand III of Castile|Conquest of Seville]] 1248
|-
|[[Battle of Malta (1283)|Battle of Malta]] 1283
|-
|[[War of the Sicilian Vespers|Combat of Sorrento]] 1284
|-
|[[Roger of Lauria|Battle of Castellamare]] 1287
|-
|[[Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1337)|Battle of Cape St. Vincent]] 1337
|-
|[[Battle of La Rochelle]] 1371
|-
|Combat of Gibraltar 1407
|-
|[[Battle of La Rochelle (1419)|Battle of La Rochelle]] 1419
|-
|[[Conquest of the Canary Islands]] 1484
|-
|[[Siege of Málaga (1487)|Conquest of Malaga]] 1487
|-
|[[Spanish conquest of Oran (1509)|Conquest of Oran]] 1509
|-
|[[Conquest of Tunis (1535)|Conquest of Tunis]] 1535
|-
|[[Battle of Muros Bay]] 1544
|-
|[[Conquest of the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (1564)|Conquest of Velez]] 1584
|-
|[[Battle of Lepanto]] 1571
|-
|[[Battle of Ponta Delgada]] 1582
|-
|[[Conquest of the Azores|Disembarkation of Terceira Island]] 1583
|-
|[[Fourth Spanish Armada|Spanish landing on Ireland]] 1602
|-
|[[Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1641)|Battle of Saint Vincent]] 1603?
|-
|[[Battle of Playa Honda]] 1617
|-
|[[Recapture of Bahia|Battle de Pernambuco]] 1621
|-
|[[Anglo-Spanish War (1625–1630)|Combate de Las Antillas]] 1629
|-
|[[Battle of Albrolhos|Batalla de los Abrojos]] 1631
|-
|[[Battles of La Naval de Manila]] 1649
|-
|[[Spanish expedition to Sardinia|Conquest of Sardinia]] 1717
|-
|[[Battle of Cartagena de Indias]] 1741
|-
|[[Battle of Toulon (1744)|Battle of Toulon]] 1744
|-
|[[Action of 9 August 1780|Battle of the Azores]] 1780
|-
|[[Siege of Pensacola]] 1781
|-
|[[British invasions of the Río de la Plata|Reconquest of Buenos Aires]] 1806
|-
|[[Capture of Rosily Squadron|Battle of Cadiz]] 1808
|-
|[[Siege of Cádiz]] 1810 – 1812
|-
|[[Battle of Callao|Bombardeo del Callao]] 1866
|-
|[[Alhucemas landing|Landing on Alhucemas]] 1925
|-
|[[Battle of Cape Espartel|Battle of the Strait]] 1936
|-
|[[Spanish Civil War|Cantabrian campaign]] 1936 – 1939
|-
|[[Spanish Civil War|Campaign of the Mediterranean]] 1936 – 1939
|}
]]
Following the discovery of America and the settlement of certain Caribbean islands, such as [[Cuba]], Spanish [[conquistador]]s [[Hernán Cortés]] and [[Francisco Pizarro]] were carried by the Spanish Navy to the mainland, where they conquered [[Viceroyalty of New Spain|Mexico]] and [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Peru]] respectively. The navy also carried explorers to the North American mainland, including [[Juan Ponce de León]] and [[Álvarez de Pineda]], who discovered Florida (1519) and [[Texas]] (1521) respectively. In 1519, Spain sent out the first expedition of [[circumnavigation|world circumnavigation]] in history, which was put in the charge of the Portuguese Commander [[Ferdinand Magellan]]. Following the death of Magellan in the [[Philippines]], the expedition was completed under the command of [[Juan Sebastián Elcano]] in 1522. In 1565, a follow-on expedition by [[Miguel López de Legazpi]] was carried by the navy from [[Viceroyalty of New Spain|New Spain]] (Mexico) to the Philippines via [[Guam]] to establish the [[Spanish East Indies]], a base for trade with the [[Orient]]. For two and a half centuries, the [[Manila galleon]]s operated across the Pacific linking [[Manila]] and [[Acapulco]]. Until the early 17th century, the Pacific Ocean was dominated by the Spanish Navy. Aside from the [[Mariana Islands|Marianas]] and [[Caroline Islands]], several naval expeditions also discovered the [[Tuvalu]] archipelago, the [[Marquesas Islands|Marquesas]], the [[Solomon Islands]] and [[New Guinea]] in the South Pacific. In the quest for [[Terra Australis]], Spanish explorers in the 17th century also discovered the [[Pitcairn Islands|Pitcairn]] and [[Vanuatu]] archipelagos. Most significantly, from 1565 Spanish fleets explored and colonised the Philippine archipelago, the Spanish East Indies.

After the unification of its kingdoms under the [[House of Habsburg]], Spain maintained two largely separate fleets, one consisting chiefly of [[Galley (ship)|galleys]] for use in the Mediterranean and the other of sailing ships for the Atlantic, successors to the Aragonese and Castilian navies respectively. This arrangement continued until superseded by the decline of galley warfare during the 17th century. The completion of the [[Reconquista]] with the conquest of the [[Kingdom of Granada]] in 1492 had been followed by naval expansion in the Mediterranean, where Spain seized control of almost every significant port along the coast of [[North Africa]] west of [[Cyrenaica]], notably [[Melilla]] (captured 1497), [[Mers El Kébir]] (1505), [[Oran]] (1509), [[Algiers]] (1510) and [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] ([[Spanish conquest of Tripoli (1510)|1510]]), which marked the furthest point of this advance. However, the hinterlands of these ports remained under the control of their Muslim and [[Berber people|Berber]] inhabitants, and the expanding naval power of the [[Ottoman Empire]] brought about a major Islamic counter-offensive, which embroiled Spain in decades of intense warfare for control of the Mediterranean.{{efn|Algiers and Tripoli would be lost to the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] later in the 16th century causing [[piracy]] problems.}} The war saw cooperation with the [[Republic of Genoa]] under the leadership of [[Andrea Doria]], while the Ottomans found an ally in [[kingdom of France|France]]. In its course, the Spanish under [[Álvaro de Bazán the Elder]] would defeat the French in the first large modern battle in the Atlantic in [[Battle of Muros Bay|Muros Bay]].

The Spanish navy was completely reorganized under King [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]], who disposed of the traditionally semi-private armada operated by Spain. In the Atlantic, Spanish ships had been exclusively private vessels sailing under charter, while in the Mediterranean, the kingdom owned directly only small numbers of ships, hiring the rest by contract (''asiento'') from players who acted as both shipbuilders and admirals, chiefly Doria and Bazán the Elder.{{sfnp|Kamen|2014|p=150-151}} The disaster of [[Battle of Djerba|Djerba]] in 1560 forcefully changed this landscape, driving Philip to initiate a building program which produced and maintained 300 galleys in fourteen years, roughly quadrupling the naval power his father [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] had enjoyed. In the Atlantic Ocean, similar attempts to form a royal navy peaked after the [[Iberian Union|incorporation of Portugal]] to the Spanish monarchy, leading to the creation of a strong, 100-vessel armada by the 1580s.{{sfnp|Kamen|2014|p=150-151}} Attacks of foreign privateers also caused the emergence of a system of bi-annual [[convoy]]s, where ships crossing to America would only do so as part of grand fleets to facilitate defense.{{sfnp|Kamen|2014|p=152}}

From the 1570s, the lengthy [[Eighty Years' War|Dutch Revolt]] increasingly challenged Spanish sea power, producing powerful rebel naval forces that attacked Spanish shipping and in time made Spain's sea communications with its possessions in the Low Countries difficult. Most notable of these attacks was the [[Battle of Gibraltar (1607)|Battle of Gibraltar]] in 1607, in which a Dutch [[Squadron (naval)|squadron]] destroyed a fleet of [[galleon]]s at anchor in the confines of the bay. This naval war took on a global dimension with actions in the Caribbean and the Far East, notably around the Philippines. Spain's response to its problems included the encouragement of [[privateer]]s based in the [[Spanish Netherlands]] and known from their main base as [[Dunkirkers]], who preyed on Dutch merchant ships and [[Fishing vessel|fishing trawlers]].
[[File:Battle of Lepanto 1571.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|right|The [[Battle of Lepanto]], 1571]]
[[File:Spanish Galleon.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|left|A 17th-century Spanish galleon]]
After decisively repealing a large Franco-Ottoman [[Sieges of Oran and Mers El Kébir|siege of Oran]] and reinforcing the Christian position in the [[Great Siege of Malta]], Spain was part of the Holy League along with Venice, the [[Papal States]] and other Christian allies, inflicting a great defeat on the [[Ottoman Navy]] in the [[Battle of Lepanto]] (1571) and stopping Muslim forces from gaining uncontested control of the eastern Mediterranean.

In 1580, after a successful amphibious campaign by [[Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz|Álvaro de Bazán the Younger]], Spain entered a [[Iberian Union|dynastic union]] with Portugal, reaching the apex of its naval power as a result of the combined might of its navy with the [[Portuguese Navy|Portuguese navy]], and effectively becoming the most powerful maritime force in the world.

In the 1580s, the conflict in the Netherlands drew England into [[Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)|war with Spain]], creating a further menace to Spanish shipping. The effort to neutralise this threat led to a [[Spanish Armada|disastrous attempt to invade England]] in 1588, however, the disaster of the [[English Armada]] the following year managed to return the balance between the belligerents. The defeat of 1588 led to a reform of fleet operations. The navy at this time was not a single operation but consisted of various fleets, made up mainly of armed merchantmen with escorts of royal ships. The Armada fiasco marked a turning point in naval warfare, where gunnery was now more important than ramming and boarding and so Spanish ships were equipped with purpose built naval guns. During the 1590s, the expansion of these fleets allowed a great increase in overseas trade and a massive increase in the importation of luxuries and silver. Nevertheless, inadequate port defences allowed an Anglo-Dutch force to [[capture of Cádiz|raid Cádiz]] in 1596, and though unsuccessful in its objective of capturing the silver from the just returned convoy, was able to inflict great damage upon the city. Port defences at Cádiz were upgraded and all attempts to repeat the attack in the following centuries would fail.

Meanwhile, Spanish ships were able to step up operations in the English Channel, the [[North Sea]] and towards Ireland. They were able to capture many enemy ships, merchant and military, in the early decades of the 17th century and provide military supplies to Spanish armies in France and the Low Countries and to Irish rebels in Ireland. In the early 17th century Spanish fleets organized by the [[Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna|Duke of Osuna]] inflicted major defeats on Ottoman Empire in the [[Battle of Cape Corvo]] and [[Battle of Cape Gelidonya|Cape Gelidonya]], the latter of which demonstrated the now growing gap between western and eastern navies, along with a [[raid on Constantinople]]. The [[Barbary corsairs]] in the service of the Ottoman Empire would gradually become only a civilian threat after being bested in battles like [[Battle of the Gulf of Tunis|Gulf of Tunis]] and [[Battle of the Dalmatian Coast|Dalmatia]] and multiple raids on the [[Ottoman Tunisia]]. These battles stabilised the situation on the [[eastern Mediterranean]] front, while in the Spanish Netherlands the allied privateers and local armada under [[Francisco de Ribera y Medina|Francisco de Ribera]] would successfully disrupt Dutch maritime trade. However, in 1639, an attempt to change their strategy to direct action led to a Dutch fleet under [[Maarten Tromp]] decisively defeating a large Spanish fleet in the [[Battle of the Downs]], putting an end to Spanish operations in northern waters.

By the middle of the 17th century, Spain had been drained by the vast strains of the [[Thirty Years' War|Thirty Years']] and related wars and began to slip into a slow decline. During the middle to late decades of the century, the Dutch, English and French were able to take advantage of Spain's shrinking, run-down and increasingly underequipped fleets. Military priorities in continental Europe meant that naval affairs were increasingly neglected. The Dutch took control of the [[Lesser Antilles|smaller islands of the Caribbean]], while England conquered [[Jamaica]] and France the western part of [[Santo Domingo]]. These territories became bases for raids on Spanish New World ports and shipping by pirates and privateers. The Spanish concentrated their efforts in keeping the most important islands, such as Cuba, [[Puerto Rico]] and the majority of Santo Domingo, while the system of [[Spanish treasure fleets|treasure fleets]], despite being greatly diminished, was rarely defeated in safely conveying its freight of silver and Asian luxuries across the Atlantic to Europe. Only two such convoys were ever lost to enemy action with their cargo, one to a [[Battle in the Bay of Matanzas|Dutch fleet in 1628]] and another to an [[Battle of Cádiz (1656)|English fleet in 1656]]. A third convoy was destroyed at anchor by another [[Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1657)|English attack in 1657]], but it had already unloaded its treasure.

By the time of the wars of the [[War of the Grand Alliance|Grand Alliance (1688–97)]] and the [[War of the Spanish Succession|Spanish Succession (1702–14)]], the Habsburg regime had decided that it was more cost effective to rely on allied fleets, Anglo-Dutch and French respectively, than to invest in its own fleets. Around this time, a service of defensive privateering based on America named ''[[guarda costa]]'' was established.

===The Bourbon era===
The War of the Spanish Succession arose after the establishment on the Spanish throne of a [[House of Bourbon]] king, following the extinction of the Spanish Habsburg line. The internal division between supporters of a Habsburg and those of a Bourbon king led to a civil war and ultimately to the loss of Sicily, Sardinia, [[Menorca]] and [[Gibraltar]]. Gibraltar and Menorca were captured by Anglo-Dutch forces fighting under the Spanish flag of Habsburg contender [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles VI]]. Menorca was ultimately surrendered to Spain years later. At the end of the War of Spanish Succession, Spain's possessions in the Low Countries and [[Italian peninsula|mainland Italy]] were ceded to [[Austrian monarchy|Austria]].
[[File:FedericoGravinaYNápoliAnónimoHacia1810.jpg|thumb|[[Federico Gravina]], one of the Spanish heroes of the [[Battle of Trafalgar]]]]
[[File:The Battle of Cape Passaro, 11 August 1718 RMG BHC0351.tiff|thumb|right|200px|A painting of the [[Battle of Cape Passaro]] by [[Richard Paton]]]]
Attempting to reverse the losses of the previous war, in the [[War of the Quadruple Alliance]] (1718–20) the Spanish Navy successfully convoyed armies to invade Sicily and [[Sardinia]], but the poorly maintained escort fleet was destroyed by the British in the [[Battle of Cape Passaro]] and the Spanish invasion army was defeated in Italy by the Austrians. A major program to renovate and reorganise the run-down navy was begun. A ''secretaría'' (ministry) of the army and navy had been established by the Bourbon regime as early as 1714; which centralized the command and administration of the different fleets. Following the war of Quadruple Alliance, a program of rigorous standardization was introduced in ships, operations, and administration. Given the needs of its empire, Spanish warship designs tended to be more orientated towards long-range escort and patrol duties than for battle. A major reform of the Spanish Navy was initiated, updating its ships and administration, which was helped by French and Italian experts, although Spaniards, most notably [[Antonio de Gaztañeta]] and [[Jorge Juan y Santacilia|Jorge Juan]], soon rose to prominence in this work, which made Spain a leader in warship design and quality again, as was demonstrated by ships like ''[[HMS Princess (1740)|Princesa]]''. A major naval yard was established at [[Havana]], enabling the navy to maintain a permanent force in the Americas for the defence of the colonies and the suppression of piracy and smuggling, complemented by ''guarda costa'' privateers. In metropolitan Spain, significant forest reconnaissance operations were regularly undertaken by Spanish naval officers to seek out sources of [[timber]] suitable for shipbuilding.<ref name="Wing2014">{{cite journal |last1=Wing |first1=John T. |date=4 June 2014 |title=Spanish Forest Reconnaissance and the Search for Shipbuilding Timber in an Era of Naval Resurgence, 1737-1739 |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/jemh/18/4/article-p357_2.xml |journal=Journal of Early Modern History |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=357–382 |doi=10.1163/15700658-12342417 |access-date=4 November 2022 |archive-date=5 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105023619/https://brill.com/view/journals/jemh/18/4/article-p357_2.xml |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

[[File:Navío santa ana de 112 cañones.jpg|thumb|''Navío'' or ship-of-the-line, {{ship|Spanish ship|Santa Ana|1784|2}}, 1784–1814]]
During the [[War of the Polish Succession]] (1733–38), a renewed attempt to regain the lost Italian territories for the Bourbon dynasty was successful; with the French as allies and the British and Dutch neutral, Spain launched a campaign by sea and retook Sicily and southern Italy from Austria. In the [[War of Jenkins' Ear]], the navy showed it was able to maintain communications with the American colonies and resupply Spanish forces in Italy in the face of British naval opposition. The navy played an important part in the decisive [[Battle of Cartagena de Indias]] in modern-day [[Colombia]], where a massive British invasion fleet and army were defeated by a smaller Spanish force commanded by able strategist [[Admiral Blas de Lezo|Blas de Lezo]]. This Spanish victory prolonged Spain's supremacy in the Americas until the early 19th century. The program of naval renovation was continued and by the 1750s the Spanish navy had outstripped the Dutch to become the third most powerful in the world, behind only those of Britain and France.

Joining France against Britain near the end of the [[Seven Years' War]] (1756–63), the navy failed to prevent the British [[Battle of Havana (1762)|capturing Havana]], during which the Spanish squadron present was also captured. In the [[American War of Independence]] (1775–83), the Spanish Navy was essential to the establishment, in combination with the French and Dutch navies, of a numerical advantage that stretched British naval resources. They played a vital role, along with the French and Dutch, in maintaining military supplies to the American rebels. The navy also played a key role in the Spanish Army-led operations that defeated the British in Florida. The bulk of the purely naval combat on the allied side fell to the [[French Navy]], although Spain achieved lucrative successes with the capture of two great British convoys meant for the resupply of British forces and loyalists in North America. Joint operations with France resulted in the [[Invasion of Menorca, 1781|capture of Menorca]] but failed in the [[Great Siege of Gibraltar|siege of Gibraltar]]. This time also marked the creation of ''[[fuerzas sutiles]]'', a long-lasting and successful policy based on [[gunboat]]s and small vessels armed with heavy artillery.

Having initially opposed France in the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] (1792–1802), Spain changed sides in 1796, but defeat by the British a few months later in the [[Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797)]] and [[Invasion of Trinidad (1797)|Trinidad]] (1798) was followed by the blockade of the main Spanish fleet in Cádiz. The run down of naval operations had as much to do with the confused political situation in Spain as it had to do with the blockade. The British blockade of Spain's ports was of limited success and an attempt to [[Assault on Cádiz (1797)|attack Cádiz]] was defeated; ships on special missions and convoys successfully evaded the Cádiz blockade and other ports continued to operate with little difficulty, but the main battle fleets were largely inactive. The blockade was lifted with the [[Peace of Amiens]] 1802. [[Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)|The war]] recommenced in 1804 and ended in 1808 when the Spain and the United Kingdom became allied against [[Napoleon]]. As in the first part, Cádiz was blockaded and Spanish naval activity was minimal. The most notable event was Spanish involvement in the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] under French leadership. This resulted in the Spanish Navy losing eleven [[ships-of-the-line]] or over a quarter of its line-of-battle ships. After Spain became allied with the United Kingdom in 1808 in its [[Peninsular War|war of independence]], the Spanish Navy [[Capture of the Rosily Squadron|joined the war effort]] against Napoleon.

===The 19th century===
[[File:Peral1888.jpg|thumb|The experimental submarine {{ship|Spanish submarine|Peral||2}}, 1888]]
The 1820s saw the loss of most of the [[Spanish Empire]] in the Americas. With the empire greatly reduced in size and Spain divided and unstable after its own war of independence, the navy lost its importance and shrank greatly.

The first new steam-driven vessel (''Isabel II'') was purchased from the United Kingdom in 1834.

However, in the 1850s and 1860s, particularly under the prime-ministership of [[Leopold O'Donnell|General O'Donnell]], significant investments were made in the Spanish naval squadrons of the Pacific. A new steam-powered naval squadron sailed around the Pacific escorting a Spanish scientific expedition and unfortunately became entangled in what has been billed the [[Chincha Islands War|First War of the Pacific]] from 1864 to 1871. During the conflict, the Spanish massed a fleet of 15 vessels to combat the combined navies of Peru, Chile, and Ecuador.

[[File:Spanish Fleet, Suez Canal 1898.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Spanish fleet of Admiral [[Manuel de la Cámara|Cámara]] anchored in the Suez Canal in 1898, formed among others by the battleship {{ship|Spanish battleship|Pelayo||2}} or the cruiser {{ship|Spanish cruiser|Emperador Carlos V||2}} and that ultimately did not intervene in the [[Spanish–American War]].]]

The 1890s saw the Spanish Navy gain several [[armored cruiser]]s—important for maintaining connection with the Spanish Empire's remaining colonies—including the {{ship|Spanish cruiser|Emperador Carlos V||2}}. As of 1896, according to the plans of Admiral [[José María Beránger]], there were three naval divisions based at [[Cádiz, Spain|Cádiz]], [[Ferrol, Spain|Ferrol]], and [[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]]. Each division was composed of [[Ironclad warship|ironclads]], in addition to auxiliary squadrons for defense of the Spanish coastline. That year the Armada consisted of one [[battleship]], eight cruisers of the first class, six of the second class, and nine of the third class, as well as 38 torpedo craft. There were an additional ten vessels under construction. As of 1896 there were 1,002 officers in the navy, along with 725 mechanics, 14,000 sailors, and 9,000 marines. Their numbers were maintained by conscription of the seafaring population.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

During the [[Spanish–American War]] in 1898, a badly supported and equipped Spanish fleet of four armored cruisers and two [[destroyer]]s was overwhelmed by numerically and technically superior forces (three new battleships, one new second-class battleship, and one large armored cruiser) as it tried to break out of an American blockade in the [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba]]. [[Admiral Cervera]]'s squadron was overrun in an attempt to break a powerful American blockade off Cuba. In the Philippines, a squadron, made up of aging ships, including some obsolete cruisers, had already been sacrificed in a token gesture in [[Manila Bay]]. The [[Battle of Manila Bay]] took place on 1 May 1898. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore [[George Dewey]] engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral [[Patricio Montojo y Pasarón]]. The engagement took place in Manila Bay in the Philippines, and was the first major engagement of the Spanish–American War. This war marked the end for the Spanish Navy as a global maritime force.

At the end of the 19th century, the Spanish Navy adopted the ''[[Salve Marinera]]'', a hymn to the [[Virgin Mary]] as [[Our Lady, Star of the Sea|Stella Maris]], as its official [[anthem]].

===The 20th and 21st centuries===
[[File:Acorazado España.jpg|thumb|{{ship|Spanish battleship|España}} (launched in 1913)]]
During the [[Rif War (1920)|Rif War]] in Morocco, the Spanish Navy conducted operations along the coast, including the [[Alhucemas landing]] in 1925, the first air-naval landing of the world. At that time, the navy developed a [[naval aviation]] branch, the ''Aeronáutica naval''.

====The Spanish Republic and Spanish Civil War====
{{Main|Spanish Republican Navy}}
[[File:Canarias C21 2.jpg|thumb|The cruiser {{ship|Spanish cruiser|Canarias||2}} was the flagship of the Spanish Navy until its discharge in 1975]]

In 1931, following the proclamation of the [[Second Spanish Republic]], the Navy of the Spanish Kingdom became the [[Spanish Republican Navy]]. [[Juan Bautista Aznar-Cabañas|Admiral Aznar]]'s casual comment: ''"Do you think it was a little thing what happened yesterday, that Spain went to bed as a monarchy and rose as a republic"'' became instantly famous, going quickly around [[Madrid]] and around Spain, making people accept the fact and setting a more relaxed mood.<ref>Gabriel Cardona, ''El Problema Militar en España'', Ed. Historia 16, Madrid 1990, pp. 158–159</ref> The Spanish Republican Navy introduced a few changes in the [[Flag of the Second Spanish Republic|flags and ensigns]], as well as in the navy officer rank insignia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/conocenos_historia/03_bandera_armada--10_republica_ii|title=Armada Española – Ministerio de Defensa – Gobierno de España|author=Spanish Navy|work=mde.es|access-date=8 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904072309/http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/conocenos_historia/03_bandera_armada--10_republica_ii|archive-date=4 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[executive curl]] ''(La coca)'' was replaced by a golden five-pointed star and the royal crown of the brass buttons and of the officers' breastplates ''(La gola)'' became a [[mural crown]].

The Spanish Republican Navy became divided after the [[Spanish coup of July 1936|coup of July 1936]] that led to the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936–39). The fleet's two [[España-class battleship|small dreadnoughts]], one [[Spanish cruiser Baleares|heavy cruiser]], one [[Spanish destroyer Almirante Ferrándiz (1928)|large destroyer]] and half a dozen submarines and auxiliary vessels were lost in the course of the conflict.

====World War II====
Like the rest of the Spanish armed forces, the Spanish Francoist Navy maintained [[Francisco Franco]]'s policy of neutrality during [[World War II]].

====Post World War II====
[[File:Torrevieja - Museo Flotante, Submarino S-61 (1).jpg|thumb|left|Submarine {{ship|Spanish submarine|Delfín|S61|2}}, preserved as [[museum ship]] in [[Torrevieja]] ([[Province of Alicante|Alicante]]), becoming the first "floating museum" of these characteristics in Spain]]
[[File:Spanish carrier Dedalo at Naval Station Rota 1976.JPEG|thumb|Spanish [[aircraft carrier]] {{ship|Spanish aircraft carrier|Dédalo||2}} (ex {{USS|Cabot|CVL-28|6}}), flagship between 1975 and 1989, tied up at a pier at [[Naval Station Rota]] in 1976]]
[[File:SNS Principe de Asturias (R11) during Dragon Hammer 92.jpg|thumb|Spanish aircraft carrier {{ship|Spanish aircraft carrier|Príncipe de Asturias||2}}, flagship between 1989 and 2010, during the joint exercise Dragon Hammer '92]]

Since the mid-20th century, the Spanish Navy began a process of reorganization to once again become one of the major navies of the world. After the development of the {{sclass|Baleares|frigate}}s based on the [[US Navy]]'s {{sclass|Knox|frigate|4}}, the Spanish Navy embraced the American [[naval doctrine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militar.org.ua/militar/artilleria/artilleria-naval-meroka-ciws.html|title=Defensa Antimisil Meroka|website=Foro Militar General|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208194557/http://www.militar.org.ua/militar/artilleria/artilleria-naval-meroka-ciws.html|archive-date=8 December 2010|language=es}}</ref> Spain became a member of [[NATO]] in 1982 and the Armada Española has taken part in many coalition peacekeeping operations, from [[SFOR]] to [[Haiti]] and other locations around the world. The Armada is a modern navy with an [[aircraft carrier]] group, a modern [[Spanish ship Juan Carlos I (L61)|strategic amphibious ship]] (which replaced a dedicated [[Spanish aircraft carrier Príncipe de Asturias|aircraft carrier]] in 2011), modern frigates (F-100 class) with the [[Aegis Combat System]], F-80-class frigates, [[minesweeper]]s, new {{sclass2|S-80|submarine}}s, amphibious ships and various other ships, including oceanographic [[research ship]]s.

The Armada's [[special operations]] and unconventional warfare capability is embodied in the Naval Special Warfare Command ('''Mando de Guerra Naval Especial'''), which is under the direct control of the Admiral of the Fleet.  The unit in charge of special operations is the ''Naval Special Warfare Force'' ('''Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial'''), which is a merge of the previous ''Special Operations Unit'' ([[Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE)]]) and the ''Special'' ''Combat Diver Unit'' ('''Unidad Especial de Buceadores de Combate (UEBC)'''). This unit is trained in maritime counter-terrorism, specialized combat diving and swimming, coastal infiltration, ship boarding, direct action, special reconnaissance, hydrographic reconnaissance and underwater demolitions.

Armada officers receive their education at the [[Escuela Naval Militar|Spanish Naval Academy]] (ENM). They are recruited through two different methods:
* '''Militar de Complemento:''' Similar to the U.S. [[ROTC]] program, students are college graduates who enroll in the navy. They spend a year at the Naval Academy and then are commissioned as ensigns and Marine second lieutenants. This path is growing in prestige. Their career stops at the rank of commander (for the Navy) and for the Marines, lieutenant colonel.
* '''Militar de Carrera:''' Students spend one year in the Naval Academy if they apply to the Supply Branch or the Engineering Branch, and five years if they apply as General Branch or Marines, receiving a university degree-equivalent upon graduation and being commissioned as ensigns and Marine second lieutenants.

==Current status==
{{Sidebar
|navbar = none
|title      = Spanish Navy
|image      = [[File:Emblem of the Spanish Navy.svg|40px]]
|contentstyle = text-align:left
|heading1 = Components
|content1 = [[List of active Spanish Navy ships|Surface Fleet]]<br> [[Spanish Naval Air Arm]]<br> [[Spanish Navy#Submarines|Submarine Service]]<br> [[Spanish Navy Marines]]<br> [[Unidad de Operaciones Especiales|Special Operations]]
|heading2 = History
|content2 = [[Spanish Navy#History|History of the Armada]]<br> [[Spanish Navy#The Contemporary Spanish Navy (20th and 21st Centuries)|Future of the Armada]]
|heading3 = Ships
|content3 = [[List of active Spanish Navy ships|Current Fleet]]<br> [[List of future Spanish Navy ships|Future ships]]<br> [[List of retired Spanish Navy ships|Historic ships]]
|heading4 = Personnel
|content4 = [[Structure of the Spanish Navy in the 21st century|Structure of the Armada]]<br> [[Spanish Royal Academy of Naval Engineers|Academy of Naval Engineers]]<br> [[Escuela Naval Militar de Oficiales|Officer naval academy]]<br> [[Spanish Navy#Ranks|Officer ranks of the Armada]]
}}
Subordinate to the Spanish Chief of Naval Staff, stationed in Madrid, are four area commands: the Cantabrian Maritime Zone with its headquarters at [[Ferrol, Spain|Ferrol]] on the Atlantic coast; the Straits Maritime Zone with its headquarters at [[San Fernando, Cádiz|San Fernando]] near Cádiz; the Mediterranean Maritime Zone with its headquarters at Cartagena; and the Canary Islands Maritime Zone with its headquarters at [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]]. Operational naval units are classified by mission and assigned to either the combat forces, the protective forces, or the auxiliary forces. Combat forces are given the tasks of conducting offensive and defensive operations against potential enemies and for assuring maritime communications. Their principal vessels include a carrier group, naval aircraft, transports, landing vessels, submarines, and missile-armed [[fast attack craft]]. Protective forces have the mission of securing maritime communications over both ocean and coastal routes, securing the approaches to ports and maritime terminals. Their principal components are frigates, [[corvette]]s, and minesweepers. It also has marine units for the defense of naval installations. Auxiliary forces are responsible for transportation and provisioning at sea and has diverse tasks like coast guard operations, scientific work, and maintenance of training vessels. In addition to supply ships and tankers, the force included destroyers and a large number of patrol craft.

Until February 2013, when it was decommissioned because of budget cuts,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.murciatoday.com/the-principe-de-asturias-will-be-decommissioned-today_14925-a.html|title=The Principe De Asturias Will Be Decommissioned Today|date=2 June 2013|work=Murcia Today|access-date=8 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612015716/http://www.murciatoday.com/the-principe-de-asturias-will-be-decommissioned-today_14925-a.html|archive-date=12 June 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> the second largest vessel of the ''Armada'' was the aircraft carrier ''Príncipe de Asturias'', which entered service in 1988 after completing sea trials. Built in Spain, it was designed with a "ski-jump" takeoff deck. Its complement was 29 [[AV-8 Harrier II]] vertical (or short) takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft or 16 helicopters designed for anti-submarine warfare and to support marine landings. As of 2025, it was reported that the AV-8B Harrier II would be unlikely to be replaced given that the acquisition of the [[F-35]]B fighter has been ruled out by the Spanish government. If confirmed, this means that carrier-based fighter operations by the Spanish Navy will cease in around 2030.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zona-militar.com/2025/08/06/al-descartar-la-compra-de-nuevos-f-35-la-armada-espanola-se-encamina-a-dar-de-baja-sin-reemplazo-a-sus-aviones-av-8b-harrier/ |title=Al descartar la compra de nuevos F-35 a EE.UU., la Armada Española se encamina a dar de baja sus aviones Harrier sin reemplazo |date=6 August 2025|work=Zona Militar|access-date=4 September 2025}}</ref>

{{As of|2012}}, the Armada has a strength of 20,800 personnel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Presupuesto del Ministerio de Defensa|date=October 2012|page=454|url=http://www.defensa.gob.es/Galerias/presupuestos/presupuesto-defensa-2012.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125221512/http://www.defensa.gob.es/Galerias/presupuestos/presupuesto-defensa-2012.pdf|archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref>

===Infantería de Marina===
{{Main|Spanish Navy Marines}}

The Infantería de Marina is the marine infantry of the Spanish Navy, and the oldest marine corps in existence in the world. It has a strength of 11,500 troops and is divided into base defense forces and landing forces. One of the three base defense battalions is stationed with each of the Navy headquarters. "Groups" (midway between battalions and regiments) are stationed in Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The ''[[Tercio]]'' (fleet&nbsp;— regiment equivalent) is available for immediate embarkation and based out of San Fernando. Its principal weapons include [[light tank]]s, [[armored personnel vehicle]]s, self-propelled artillery, and [[TOW missile|TOW]] and [[Dragon missile|Dragon]] [[anti-tank missile]]s.

==Equipment==

===Ships and submarines===
{{Main|List of active Spanish Navy ships}}
[[File:Spanish navy frigate, BAM and LHD.jpg|thumb|Naval parade of the Spanish Navy held in 2017. In the image, the BAM {{ship|Spanish patrol vessel|Tornado|P-44|3}}, the frigate {{ship|Spanish frigate|Almirante Juan de Borbón||2}} (F-102) and in the background, the flagship amphibious assault ship {{ship|Spanish amphibious assault ship|Juan Carlos I||2}} (L-61).]]
As of 2018, there are approximately 138 vessels in service within the navy, including minor auxiliary vessels. A breakdown includes an [[amphibious assault ship]] (also used as an aircraft carrier), [[amphibious transport dock]]s, frigates, submarines, [[mine countermeasure vessel]]s, [[Patrol boat|patrol vessels]] and a number of [[auxiliary ship]]s. The total displacement of the Spanish Navy is approximately 220,000 tonnes.<ref>[[:es:Armada Española#La Armada hoy]]</ref>

=== S-81 ''Isaac Peral'' ===

Designed and constructed entirely in Spain by [[Navantia]] the S-81 ''Isaac Peral'' is the first submarine in the world capable of generating [[hydrogen]] internally through a revolutionary system known as BEST AIP (Bio-Ethanol Steaming Reforming Air Independent Propulsion).<ref name="farmingdale">{{cite web |title=“He is the first in the world to achieve this”: Spain unveils a submarine with capabilities never before seen under the ocean |url=https://farmingdale-observer.com/2025/06/21/he-is-the-first-in-the-world-to-achieve-this-spain-unveils-a-submarine-with-capabilities-never-before-seen-under-the-ocean/ |website=Farmingdale Observer |date=21 June 2025 |access-date=23 June 2025}}</ref>

Unlike conventional diesel-electric submarines, which are limited by battery life and snorkeling intervals, the S-81 uses the bioethanol reforming process to feed hydrogen into fuel cells that generate silent, continuous electric propulsion while submerged. This allows the submarine to remain underwater for several weeks, drastically enhancing stealth and tactical flexibility.<ref name="atalayar">{{cite web |title=In the bowels of the S-81, the new generation Spanish submarine |url=https://www.atalayar.com/en/articulo/new-technologies-innovation/in-the-bowels-of-the-s-81-the-new-generation-spanish-submarine/20250216023820211289.html |website=Atalayar |date=16 February 2025 |access-date=23 June 2025}}</ref>

The choice of bioethanol, a renewable fuel source, not only enables simpler storage than pure hydrogen but also reduces the submarine’s environmental impact, aligning the vessel with broader clean energy transitions in military applications.<ref name="farmingdale" />

The S-81 is also historically significant as the first submarine fully designed, engineered, and built in Spain, signaling the country's move toward full naval-industrial autonomy after decades of relying on foreign licenses.<ref name="army">{{cite web |title=New chapter in Spanish naval power as S-81 Isaac Peral begins national journey |url=https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2025/new-chapter-in-spanish-naval-power-as-s-81-isaac-peral-begins-national-journey |website=Army Recognition |date=18 June 2025 |access-date=23 June 2025}}</ref> Delivered to the Spanish Navy in late 2023 for testing, the vessel is named in honor of 19th-century Spanish inventor [[Isaac Peral]], who designed one of the earliest electric submarines.<ref name="farmingdale" />

Although the prototype currently operates with a conventional diesel-electric configuration, the full implementation of the BEST AIP system is planned for 2029–2030, following an extensive testing phase.<ref name="atalayar" /> As the lead vessel of the S-80 Plus class, the S-81 is expected to redefine Spain' underwater strategic capabilities and export potential.<ref name="army" />

===Aircraft===
[[File:Spanish Navy AV-8B Harrier II 070223-N-3888C-004.jpg|thumb|A Spanish Navy [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|AV-8B Harrier]] operating from an aircraft carrier]]
[[File:Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk Spanish Navy S-70B-1.jpg|thumb|[[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk|SH-60B Mk.III]], the most modern helicopter currently in service with the Navy Air Force.]]
[[File:US Navy 1005268-N-RC844-159 A Scan Eagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).jpg|thumb|  A ScanEagle flying in 2016]]
The Spanish Naval Air Arm constitutes the naval aviation branch of the Spanish Navy.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Model
!Origin
!Role
!in Service
!Variant
!Quantity
!Note
|-
|'''[[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II]]'''
| {{USA}}
| Multi-role
| 1987
| EAV-8B Matador II+
| 13<ref name="World Air Forces 2025">{{cite news |year=2025 |title=World Air Forces 2025 |url=https://edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=Supplements&edid=7bc72e1e-65fc-4001-b963-749509c821a0 |access-date=12 January 2025 |newspaper=Flight Global |publisher=Flightglobal Insight |doi=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/04/03/a-la-espera-del-caza-f-35-la-armada-podra-volar-sus-harrier-desde-el-buque-juan-carlos-i-hasta-2030-gracias-a-eeuu/ | title=A la espera del caza F-35: la Armada podrá volar sus Harrier desde el buque Juan Carlos I hasta 2030, gracias a EEUU |work=Infobae |last=Trelles |first=Gastón |date=2 April 2024 |access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref>
| Including 1 TAV-8B double-seat trainer
|-
|'''[[Cessna Citation II|Cessna Citation]]'''
| {{USA}}
| Utility
| 
| Cessna Citation II/III
| 4
| 3 C550
1 C650
|-
|'''[[NHIndustries NH90|NHI NH90]]'''
| {{EUR}}
| Transport
| 2024
| NH-90 MSPT
| 2<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Navy is now flying the new NH90 helicopter {{!}} infodefensa |url=https://www.infodefensa.com/texto-diario/mostrar/5260911/armada-vuela-nuevo-helicoptero-nh90 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=infodefensa.com |language=es}}</ref> (7)
| 7 on order<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spanish Navy prepares for NH90 introduction {{!}} aerospaceglobalnews |url=https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/spanish-navy-prepares-for-nh90-introduction/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=aerospaceglobalnews.com}}</ref>
|-
|'''[[Airbus Helicopters H135]]'''
| {{EUR}}
| Trainer
| 2023
| H135 P3H NIVAL
| 6(7)<ref Name="World Air Forces 2025" />
| 7 on order<ref>{{cite web |title=Spanish Ministries of Defence and Interior sign for 36 H135s |url=https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-12-spanish-ministries-of-defence-and-interior-sign-for-36-h135s |publisher=Airbus |access-date=9 February 2023}}</ref>
Replacement for [[Bell 212]]
|-
|'''[[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk]]'''
| {{USA}}
| ASW
| 1988
| SH-60B
| 12
|
|-
|'''[[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk]]'''
| {{USA}}
| Transport
| 2020
| SH-60F
| 8
| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.outono.net/elentir/2023/04/20/mh-60r-seahawk-this-is-the-new-multi-mission-helicopter-that-the-spanish-navy-will-receive/ |title=MH-60R Seahawk: this is the new multi-mission helicopter that the Spanish Navy will receive |website=defenseandaviation.info |date=20 April 2023 |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref>
|- 
|'''[[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk]]'''
| {{USA}}
| ASW/ASuW/Transport
| 2025
| MH-60R
| 0 (8)
| 8 on order, to replace SH-60B
|-
|'''[[Boeing Insitu MQ-27 ScanEagle]]'''
| {{USA}}
| [[unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle]]
| 2015
| 
| 8
|
|}

==Ranks and insignia==
{{Main|Military ranks of Spain}}
The officer ranks of the Spanish Navy are as follows below, (for a comparison with other NATO ranks, see [[Ranks and Insignia of NATO]]). Midshipmen are further divided into 1st and 2nd Classes and Officer Cadets 3rd and 4th Classes respectively.

;Officers
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#fff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OF/Spain}}
|}

;Enlisted
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#fff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OR/Spain}}
|}

The article [[Spanish Marine Infantry]] includes the rank insignia descriptions for this part of the Navy.

==Organization==
[[File:Monolitomarina.jpg|thumb|Monolit of Spanish Navy in [[La Coruña]].]]
The Spanish Navy shares the organization model of its two sister services – the [[Spanish Army]] and the [[Spanish Air and Space Force]]. Each of them consists of a Headquarters (''Cuartel general''), a Force (''Fuerza'', composed of the operational units) and a Force Support (''Apoyo a la fuerza'', composed of administration, logistical and training units). For historical traditions the Force of the Spanish Navy is called Fleet (''Flota'') and the two terms are used interchangeably. At the head of the Navy is an ''Almirante general'' (a four-star rank reserved for the Chief of the Spanish Navy and the Chief of the Spanish Armed Forces, when the latter position is held by a naval officer), denominated AJEMA or Admiral Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (''Almirante Jefe de Estado Mayor de la Armada''). Counterintuitive to this official designation he holds authority over all three components of the service and the officer, who actually functions as Chief of Staff is a three-star ''Almirante'', designated Admiral Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (''Almirante Segundo Jefe del Estado Mayor de la Armada'' or ''2º AJEMA'')

'''Admiral Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (''AJEMA'')''' {{Rating|4|4}}

The basic structure of the Spanish Navy, as defined by Instruction DEF/707/2020 of the Chief of the Naval Staff, is as follows:
*Naval Headquarters
The Spanish Navy Headquarters, located in Madrid, comprises a series of departments with the necessary personnel and material to advise the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy in the execution of his duties.
The CGA is made up of the following bodies:
**Naval Staff (EMA)
**Chief of Staff’s Private Office
**Support Elements to Organic Action (AOOA)
**Head Office of General Services and Technical Assistance (JESAT)
**History and Naval Culture Institute (IHCN)
**Legal Advice Department
**Naval Central Court
*The Force
The Force of the Spanish Navy is the Fleet, under direct command of AJEMA. Its main task is to have ready the operational naval structures capable of deploying in different types of operations, either joint, combined or specific. It is also in charge of securing the necessary logistic support to those operations. The Fleet is organized into the following bodies:
**Fleet
***Fleet Headquarters
***Headquarters of the Spanish Maritime Forces
***Surface Combat Force (FUCOM)
****Amphibious & Projection Group (Rota): 
*****1 LHD L60 [[Landing helicopter dock|LHD]] {{ship|Spanish ship|Juan Carlos I|L61|3}}. 27,079 tons.
*****2 LPD L50 [[Landing Platform Dock|LPD]] {{sclass|Galicia|landing platform dock|2}}s. 13,818 tons
****31st Surface Squadron. (Ferrol)
***** 5 AEGIS Frigates F100 {{sclass|Álvaro de Bazán|frigate|4}}. 6,250 tons.
*****1 Replenishment ship A-14 {{ship|Spanish oiler|Patiño|A14|2}}. 17,045 tons
*****1 Replenishment ship A-15 {{ship|Spanish oiler|Cantabria|A15|2}}. 19,500 tons
****41st Escort Squadron (Rota)
*****6 Frigates F80 {{sclass|Santa María|frigate|4}}. 4,017 tons
****Mine Countermeasures Force (Cartagena)
*****6 Minehunters M30 {{sclass|Segura|minehunter|4}}. 585 tons
***Submarine Flotilla (FLOSUB) (Cartagena)
***** 1 Submarine S70 {{sclass|Agosta|submarine|4}}. 1,740 tons
***** 1 AIP submarines S80 {{sclass|Isaac Peral|submarine|4}}. (3 more under construction) 3,426 tons
***Aircraft Flotilla (FLOAN) (Rota)
****4th Flying Squadron – 4 [[Cessna Citation family|Cessna Citation]] liaison aircraft (3 C550 + 1 C650)
****5th Flying Squadron – 8 [[SH-60 Seahawk|SH-60F Seahawk]]
****9th Flying Squadron – 11 [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|McDonnell Douglas AV/TAV-8B+ Harrier II]] (10AV + 1 TAV)
****10th Flying Squadron – 12 [[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk|Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk]] (To be replaced by MH-60R “Romeo”)
****11th Flying Squadron – 8 [[Boeing Insitu ScanEagle]]
****12th Flying Squadron – 7 [[Airbus Helicopters H135|Airbus H-135 P3H]] 
****14th Flying Squadron – 2 [[NHIndustries NH90]] (5 more on order)
****Carrier Air Group – aircraft detached from the flying squadrons
***[[Spanish Marine Infantry|Marine Infantry Force]] – Commandant General of Naval Infantry (''COMGEIM'') {{Rating|2|2}} (San Fernando, Cádiz)
***Maritime Action Force (FAM)
****Headquarters of the Maritime Action Force.
****Canary Islands Naval Command.
*****Canary Islands Maritime Action Command
****Balearic Islands Naval Sector
****Ferrol Maritime Action Command
****Cádiz Maritime Action Command
****Cartagena Maritime Action Command
****Training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’
****Spanish Navy Diving Center
****Hydrographic Institute
****Naval stations of Algeciras, Alicante, Almería, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cádiz, Cartagena, Ceuta, Ferrol, Corunna, Gijón, Huelva, Las Palmas, Mahon, Málaga, Melilla, Miño, Majorca, Tenerife, Santander, San Sebastian, Seville, Tarragona, Valencia, and Vigo.
***Combat Assessment and Certification Center (CEVACO)
***Fleet Doctrine Center (CEFLOT)
*Force Support
**Personnel Head Office
**Logistic Support Head Office
**Financial Affairs Head Office

==See also==
*''[[Salve Marinera]]''
*[[Coats of arms, badges and emblems of Spanish Armed Forces#Navy]]
*[[List of active Spanish Navy ships]]
*[[List of historic Spanish Navy ships]]
*[[List of future Spanish Navy ships]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

* {{cite book|last=Kamen|first=Henry|author-link=Henry Kamen|title=Spain's Road to Empire: The Making of a World Power, 1492-1763|year=2003|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=9780141927329}}
* {{cite book|last=Kamen|first=Henry|author-link=|title=Spain, 1469-1714: A Society of Conflict|year=2014|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9781317755005}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Armada Española}}
*[http://www.armada.mde.es Official website] {{in lang|es}}
*http://www.todoababor.es (Spanish Naval History)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030507192420/http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=525 History of Spanish Mariners]
*http://www.revistanaval.com
*http://www.losbarcosdeeugenio.com/principal_es.html
*[http://perso.wanadoo.es/pfcurto/ El Arma Submarina Española] (unofficial website)
*https://web.archive.org/web/20070514165145/http://www.fotosdebarcos.com/ (Spanish Navy Section, see Armada Española with all kind of Spanish navy ships)
*[http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/europe/spain.htm Spanish Navy] page on [[Haze Gray and Underway|Andrew Toppan's Haze Gray and Underway]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050502133106/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3738/is_200410/ai_n9426227 Spain Plans to Upgrade Navy's Projection Group]
*[http://www.militar.org.ua/foro/ Foro Militar General] (unofficial forum)
*[http://www.kbismarck.com/mgl/spanishcivwar.htm Warships of the Spanish Civil War]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090824072845/http://www.buquesdeguerra.tk/ BUQUESDEGUERRA.TK], Spanish website about warships

{{FFAA España}}
{{Navies in Europe}}
{{Allied Maritime Command}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Spanish Navy| ]]
[[Category:Military history of the Mediterranean]]