Spanish frigate F-101 Álvaro de Bazán joins Charles de Gaulle for La Fayette 26

The Spanish Navy’s F-101 frigate “Álvaro de Bazán” has joined the carrier strike group of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” (R-91), which will conduct the French Navy’s La Fayette 26 deployment over the coming months. The Spanish vessel will remain assigned until 18 February, under the operational control of the Operations Command. A key element of its deployment will be the ship’s involvement in French Armed Forces activities under Operation “ORION 26”, taking place in the Bay of Biscay, with operations extending into the North Atlantic and Arctic areas.

Integration into a multinational carrier strike group

The carrier strike group will initially operate in the Mediterranean before sailing together towards the Atlantic and the Cantabrian Sea. Its units include the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, several French frigates and allied naval assets: an Italian, Dutch and Moroccan frigate, alongside the “Álvaro de Bazán”.

Within this combined operational setting, the Spanish frigate will provide capabilities for maritime security, surveillance and deterrence missions in areas of Spanish, allied and NATO interest.

Pre-deployment preparation and operational cycle

Before joining the French carrier strike group, the “Álvaro de Bazán”, commanded by Commander Álvaro Zaragoza Ruiz and crewed by 205 personnel, completed scheduled maintenance at Navantia’s shipyard in Ferrol. It then undertook a range of individual and collective training activities at sea, notably participating in Exercise MAR-26, led by the 41st Escort Squadron in the waters of the Gulf of Cádiz and the Alboran Sea.

Exercise ORION 26

Before the Spanish frigate’s arrival, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort group departed Toulon naval base in late January to begin their involvement in Operation ORION 26, one of the French Armed Forces’ principal operational readiness exercises.

Operation ORION 26 was designed as a joint-service and multinational exercise intended to prepare participating forces for high-intensity scenarios in complex, contested and multi-domain environments. Its aims include training commanders to plan and lead multi-domain operations on European territory, strengthening logistics chains and improving interministerial coordination.

The exercise also seeks to increase interoperability with allies, particularly ahead of the French Air and Space Force’s certification as part of the ARF 2026 alert. It will additionally integrate and assess technologies including drones, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, advanced simulation, satellite jamming and spectral meteorology. An amphibious force is scheduled to join during later stages of the deployment, completing the exercise’s naval component.

Images of the frigate Álvaro de Bazán provided by the Spanish Defence Staff.