Spanish Navy Marine Corps recently practiced amphibious operations with the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship LHD Juan Carlos I and the Galicia-class landing platform dock LPD Castilla.
The amphibious exercise, named ADELFIBEX-61, was conducted off the Gulf of Cadiz and the Spanish Naval Base Rota.
This basic exercise was designed to train Spanish Navy amphibious units in movements of vehicles and troops both inside large amphibious assault ships and from ship to shore.
Participating units included, among others, the LHD Juan Carlos I, the LPD Castilla and the Marine Corps (MC) Beach Naval Group in addition to other MC support elements like Special Operations Teams and an assortment of helicopters (SH-3D, AB-212 and H-500).
The main part of the exercise was led by the Second MC Battalion with a 250-strong landing contingent and 20 vehicles. Besides, 94 students from the Marine Corps Academy attended the exercise as observers.