Spanish Navy frigate Reina Sofía (F-84) departed naval base Rota on February 27 to integrate into the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1).
During the two and a half-month mission, the Spanish frigate will participate in several training activities with other NATO units, among them exercise Joint Warrior 171 off the Scottish coast at the end of March.
Reina Sofía is the fourth of six Santa María-class frigates (based on the U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry escorts). With a crew of 180 people, the frigate has an embarked SH-60B helicopter with its support personnel, a Marine Corps security squad and medical personnel.
The F-84 has participated in many national and international operations and exercises, including the counter-piracy operation Atalanta in the Indian Ocean (2012) and, more recently, Operation ‘Sophia’ in the Mediterranean Sea (2016) fighting the illegal trafficking of people.