Spanish Navy’s multi-purpose amphibious assault ship Juan Carlos I hosted King Felipe VI during the LIVEX phase of exercise ‘Trident Juncture 2015’.
The Spanish Navy participates in this exercise with 2,650 people, 13 ships, 4 helicopters and 2 fixed-wing aircraft
King Felipe VI, accompanied by the Chief of the Defense Staff, Admiral General Fernando García, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral General Jaime Muñoz-Delgado, attended the Livex phase of exercise ‘Trident Juncture 2015’ on board the LHD ‘Juan Carlos I’ in the Gulf of Cadiz.
The visit commenced with a briefing on the naval component of the exercise delivered by the Chief of Naval Action, Vice Admiral Manuel Garat followed by another briefing on the air component.
They later proceeded to the ship’s bridge to review a naval formation made up of Spanish vessels LPD Castilla, AOR Cantabria, frigates Álvaro de Bazán and Numancia, and OPVs Infanta Cristina and Vigía. Ships from other nationalities included the Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean and the amphibious ship HMS Bulwark, the RNLN’s LPD Johan de Witt and the Turkish frigates Yavuz and Salihreis.
The visit included a demonstration of the interoperability of the USMC’s MV-22 ‘Osprey’ tilt-rotor aircraft and Spanish Navy AV-8B ‘Harrier’ aircraft. The exercise concluded with a mock air attack to the naval force with eight F-16s, four F-18s, four Saab GRIPENs, one P3-C, four Red BEJAs and one DA20 Electronic Warfare aircraft.
Image: Spanish Navy