“Principe de Asturias” ( Spanish: Príncipe de Asturias - “ Prince of Asturias ”) - Spanish light aircraft carrier , created on the basis of the unrealized American project of aircraft-carrying ships “ Sea Control Ship ”. Due to the use of shortened or vertical take-off and landing aircraft and helicopters, the dimensions and, accordingly, the cost of the ship were significantly reduced. It was built in 1979-1988 at the Bazán shipyard in Ferrol . Replaced in the role of the flagship in the Spanish Navy, the obsolete aircraft carrier " Daedalus " (which participated in World War II ). In 1990, “Principe de Asturias” underwent a small modernization, which consisted of remodeling the superstructure and expanding the living quarters of the air group.
| "Principe de Asturias" | |
|---|---|
| Príncipe de asturias | |
 "Principe de Asturias" at the exercises in 1992 | |
| Service | |
 Spain | |
| Class and type of vessel | light aircraft carrier |
| Port of registry | Rota base |
| Organization | Spanish Navy |
| Manufacturer | Bazán , Ferrol |
| Ordered to build | June 29, 1977 |
| Construction started | October 8, 1979 |
| Launched | May 22, 1982 |
| Commissioned | May 30, 1988 |
| Withdrawn from the fleet | February 6, 2013 |
| Status | withdrawn from the fleet |
| Main characteristics | |
| Displacement | 17 188 t full |
| Length | 195.9 m |
| Width | 24.3 m |
| Draft | 9.4 m |
| Engines | 2 GTE General Electric LM2500 |
| Power | 46 400 l. with. |
| Mover | one |
| Speed | 25 knots maximum |
| Sailing range | 6,500 miles at 20 knots |
| Crew | 555 crew members, including 90 officers 208 people of the air group and staff |
| Armament | |
| Radar weapons | Hughes SPS-52C / D Airborne Target Search Radar Search radar for surface targets ISC Cardion SPS-55 Landing control radar ITT SPN-35A Radar CMS 4 Sperry / Lockheed VPS 2 , RTN 11L / X , Selenia RAN 12L |
| Electronic weapons | Elettronica Nettunel EW System |
| Flak | 4 × 20 mm / 120 "Meroka" Mod 2A / 2B 2 × 37 mm salute guns |
| Aviation group | up to 37 airplanes and helicopters, of which no more than 24–29 can be used simultaneously; usually: 6-12 aircraft - AV-8 Harrier II attack aircraft 6-10 helicopters PL- SH-3 Sea King 2–4 helicopters EW AB 212 AW |
In November 2012, Fleet Chief of Staff Jaime Muñoz-Delgado announced that the aircraft carrier would be removed from the Spanish Navy in early 2013 [1] . The modernization of the ship was estimated at 400 million euros , which was unrealistic with the then difficult economic condition of Spain. On February 6, 2013, the Principe de Asturias (R11) was withdrawn from the fleet [2] [3] .
In the summer of 2016, the Spanish Navy decided to put up the Prince of Asturias aircraft carrier for sale for 2.4 million euros [4] .
See also
- Chakri Narubet (aircraft carrier)
Literature
- Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005 / S. Saunders. - Jane's Information Group, 2004 .-- 947 p. - (Jane's Fighting Ships). - ISBN 0-71062-623-1 .
- All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995 / R. Gardiner. - London: Conway Maritime Press / US Naval Institute Press, 1996 .-- 675 p. - ISBN 1-55750-132-7 .
Notes
- ↑ La Armada dará de baja el portaaviones Príncipe de Asturias a comienzos de 2013 | Infodefensa (Spanish)
- ↑ Flash Traffic: Farewell SPS Principe de Asturias (Neopr.) // The Navy. - Navy League of Australia, 2013. - April ( vol. 75 , No. 2 ). - S. 16-17 . - ISSN 1322-6231 .
- ↑ The Former Spanish Navy Flagship Vessel Is A Victim of Bugetary Cuts . Murcia Today (February 6, 2013). Date of treatment February 6, 2013. Archived on April 5, 2013.
- ↑ Spanish Navy sells aircraft carrier // July 14, 2016