Meteoro class offshore patrol vessels of the Spanish Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Meteoro, lead ship of the class. Photo: www.armada.mde.es

The Meteoro class BAM (Buque de Acción Marítima) are four multi-purpose offshore patrol vessels in service with Spanish Navy (Armada Española). The designation is Avante 3000 Patrol. The ships are the newest patrol vessles operated by Spanish Navy; they were built by Navantia at San Fernando / Puerto Real Shipyards and they were delivered to the Navy in 2009-2010. The home port of the ships is Las Palmas Naval Station (Canary Islands). The design is modular and thus the configuration depends on the mission. According to Navantia, the class is specially designed for the following missions: control of activities maritime areas, protection of merchant shipping, maritime search and rescue operations (SAR), surveillance and control of environmental legislation and pollution, surveillance and control of fishing, logistic and medical support to smaller ships, humanitarian relief operations, intelligence gathering, operations against the traffic of people and drug smuggling, control and neutralization of terrorist actions and pirate activities, inward and outward transport of Special Forces and naval presence.