Text Alejandro De Prado Photos Alejandro De Prado y Armada Española
Last Tuesday, July 30, the ceremony of decommissioning of the Third Aircraft Squadron took place at the Rota Naval Base and the last flight of the now eternal AB-212 which, according to Navy sources confirmed to Time4avia, will most likely be transferred to the FAMET of the Army, specifically to the BHELMA VI based in Tenerife (Canary Islands), a unit that will continue to operate them.
What is the future of the Third Squadron? It is clear that the majority of the Third Squadron’s personnel will transition to the newly created Fourteenth Squadron, which is scheduled to operate starting in 2025. The NH-90 MSPTs are already being manufactured at the Albacete plant, providing cutting-edge capabilities to the Navy’s service, such as tactical transport and amphibious assault.
During the farewell ceremony, presided over by the Commanding General of the Marine Infantry (Major General Rafael Roldán Tudela), the Squadron’s history was reviewed in its entirety through moving speeches heard by former members of the Unit invited to the event.
Furthermore, as one of the most important and heartfelt moments of the event, a tribute was paid to all those members of the Squadron’s crew who lost their lives in service to the Navy, including the four members who lost their lives in Haiti in April 2010 during a humanitarian mission. The farewell ceremony was also attended by the unit’s backbone, the AB-212 Helicopter, which made its “final” pass as the AB-212 “Gato” in homage to a helicopter whose sound will be missed by many in the Bay of Cádiz and at the Rota Naval Base, and which marked a before and after in our Navy.
Finally, we cannot fail to mention some of the most important events that have marked the history of the unit:
– The Third Squadron was established in 1965 operating the AB-204 B “Bravo” in its anti-submarine version, assigned to the aircraft carrier “Dédalo” under the command of Commander C. C. Don José M. Maza Daben. On October 31, 1978, the Agusta Bell 204 Bravo were deactivated. – In 1974, the current AB-212 were received until 1980 when the last of the series were received (317 and 318), completely modernizing the Unit and serving for more than 50 years. It was at this time when the Ab-212 acquired the distinctive Gato.
– Throughout this time, all kinds of missions have been carried out, including humanitarian aid in areas such as Indonesia and Haiti. A pivotal moment in Spanish history was its participation in the Perejil Island Crisis. The most recent highlights have been its notable intervention in Operation “Sophia” against human trafficking in the Mediterranean and the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean, Operation “Atlanta.” During this time, the Third Squadron has accumulated more than 95,000 flight hours. An excellent record that will undoubtedly go down in history from July 30, 2024.
At Time4Avia, we want to analyze and not overlook the modernization that the AB-212 Gato underwent in 2016 within the life extension program (PEVH AB-212), which has been a milestone for the third squadron by modernizing 7 helicopters, extending their operational life to the present day.
Con la modernización del helicóptero, fue incorporado un nuevo modelo de cabina que integró todas las señales de vuelo, navegación y parámetros de motor, presentó un sistema electrónico de instrumentos de vuelo (EFIS) de cuatro pantallas digitales, que permiten diferentes configuraciones en virtud del criterio de la tripulación. También fueron integrados: un nuevo computador de datos de aire (ADC), un sistema de referencia de actitud y rumbo (AHRS), fue sustituido el sistema de comunicaciones V/UHF y el sistema de ICS por otros de última generación y se incorporaron un sistema GPS con aviso de proximidad al terreno (TAWS).
