Robles contacts the frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ on defensive mission in Cyprus

Eduardo González Defense Minister Margarita Robles contacted the crew of the frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ on Thursday. The frigate is participating in a defensive mission in Cyprus and, in her words, represents an example of the Spanish Navy’s “speed and efficiency,” as it “is where it needs to be.” Robles held a videoconference with the frigate’s commanding officer, Commander Gabriel Pita da Veiga, to whom she expressed her appreciation for the “enormous effort” made to travel, in record time, from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to participate in this defensive and peacekeeping mission. The frigate is participating in a defensive mission in Cyprus as part of the NATO Deterrence and Defense Strategy, providing protection to the French aircraft carrier ‘Charles de Gaulle’ alongside ships from France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Initially, this integration focused on participation in NATO's 'Steadfast Dart 26' exercise in the Baltic and North Seas. However, following the attack on Cyprus during the Middle East conflict, its deployment with the group was extended to the Eastern Mediterranean to participate in "defensive, security, and protection operations for Cyprus," according to the Ministry of Defense. "Once again, the Spanish Navy is where it needs to be, upholding Spain's high standards," stated the Minister during the videoconference, held at the Ministry of Defense headquarters, which was also attended by the Secretary General for Defense Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez. For his part, the frigate's commanding officer affirmed that the 186 crew members, comprised of 155 men and 31 women, "are all in very high spirits and fully committed to the defense of European territory." From this Thursday until March 22, the ‘Cristóbal Colón’ will be docked in Souda (Crete), which serves as a rest port as part of a rotation plan in the area of operations. The ‘Cristóbal Colón’, an F-100 class frigate with a modern design and outstanding capabilities, is a multi-purpose vessel that can perform any of the generic missions assigned to the Naval Force, such as deterrence and defense, crisis management, maritime security, and power projection. Internationally, the ship regularly participates in NATO's Standing Naval Group 2 (SNMG-2) and in Operation Sea Guardian, also under NATO command. On March 5th, the Ministry of Defense announced the deployment of the frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ and the supply ship ‘Cantabria’ to Cyprus to contribute to deterrence and security in response to attacks on the British base in that country by Iran and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. Cyprus, a member of the EU (currently holding the rotating presidency of the Council) but not of NATO, is the only European country to have been attacked to date by Iran (specifically, its British base), and had requested the support of the European Union member states. To defend this decision, which could contradict Spain's stance against the conflict, Margarita Robles warned that it is a mission of "protection and possible evacuation," while the US objective, vetoed by Pedro Sánchez's government, was to launch an "attack from the Spanish bases" of Rota and Morón. For his part, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez asserted on March 6 that it is "an evidently defensive mission, not offensive at all (...), which logically conforms to the Organic Law of National Defense, approved by the Spanish Parliament in 2005." The People's Party has demanded that Pedro Sánchez appear before Congress to explain his position on the Middle East and that the deployment of the frigate 'Cristóbal Colón' to Cyprus be put to a parliamentary vote "immediately," arguing that the National Defense Law requires congressional authorization to send Spanish troops to a "conflict zone." The Prime Minister will appear before the full Congress on March 25. Members of Parliament to report on the Executive's position regarding the conflict in the Middle East.

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