Spanish Navy

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Spanish Navy
Armada Española
Emblem of the Spanish Navy[1]
Founded	15th century
Country	Spain
Type	Navy
Size	20,838 personnel (2016)[2] 139 ships[3] 54 aircraft[4]
Part of	Spanish Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Headquarters: Spanish Navy Headquarters, Madrid Main naval bases: Naval Station of Rota Arsenal de Ferrol Arsenal de Cartagena Mahón Naval Station Arsenal de las Palmas Arsenal de la Carraca Naval Military School of Marín
Patron	Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Carmen)
March	Himno de la Escuela Naval (José María Pemán)
Anniversaries	16 July
Website	www.armada.mde.es
Commanders
Commander in Chief	King Felipe VI
Admiral Chief of the Naval Staff	Admiral Carlos Martínez-Merello y Díaz de Miranda (acting)
Insignia
Jack
Ensign
Aircraft flown
Attack	McDonnell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II+
Fighter	McDonnell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II+
Helicopter	Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk
Cargo helicopter	Sikorsky SH-60F Seahawk
Multirole helicopter	Agusta Bell AB-212+
Trainer helicopter	Airbus H135
Reconnaissance	Boeing Institu ScanEagle
Trainer	McDonnell Douglas TAV-8B Harrier II
Transport	Cessna Citation

The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the 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 discovery of America and the first global circumnavigation by Elcano. 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 Americas and Europe, and the Manila Galleon across the Pacific Ocean between the Philippines and the Americas.

The Spanish Navy was (after the Portuguese Navy) the second most powerful maritime force in the world from the late 15th century to the late 16th century and the most powerful from then on to the mid 17th century. In the early 19th century, with the loss of most of its empire, Spain transitioned to a smaller fleet but maintained a major shipbuilding industry which produced important technical innovations. The Spanish Navy built and operated the first military submarines, made important contributions in the development of destroyer warships, and again achieved a first global circumnavigation, this time by an ironclad vessel.

The main bases of the Spanish Navy are at Rota, Ferrol, San Fernando and Cartagena.