Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has held a naming ceremony for the Spanish Navy’s new underwater intervention and submarine rescue vessel, A-21 Poseidón, at its Puerto Real shipyard in southwestern Spain.
The ceremony followed the ship’s float-out earlier last week after construction began in 2021.
Poseidón will replace the aging rescue and salvage ship Neptuno as the navy’s main platform for submarine rescue, diving support, and other underwater operations.
Underwater Rescue Capabilities
Poseidón will be able to deploy submarine rescue vehicles and remotely operated vehicles for inspection, search, and intervention missions at depths of up to 3,000 meters (9,840 feet).
Other planned tasks include deep-water diving operations using mixed-gas systems, underwater repairs, the recovery of submerged objects, and the identification of wreckage or other objects below the surface.
Onboard facilities will also support hyperbaric treatment for diving accidents.
The ship can also assist with protecting underwater archaeological sites and training and certifying Spanish Navy divers.
Poseidón has received MOSHIP certification, allowing it to serve as a mother ship for NATO’s Submarine Rescue System and the US Navy’s Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System.
According to Navantia, it will be the first Spanish Navy vessel capable of supporting both allied rescue systems.
This will allow rescue vehicles and related equipment operated by NATO or the US to deploy from the Spanish ship during multinational operations.
