BTL "YSABEL"

The Commanding Officer of the logistic transport vessel ‘Ysabel’ welcomes you to this website and invites you to ‘visit’ this unit where you will learn of her characteristics, history, missions and the like.

Logistic Transport Vessel ‘YSABEL’ (A-06)

DISPLACEMENT: 11,784 tons.

LENGTH: 149.3 meters .

BEAM: 21 m

POWER: 11,258 HP

SPEED: 17 knots.

PROPULSION:

• 2 Wärtsila 9L32 engines with two shafts.
• 1 Fore propeller.

WEAPONS: Light portable weapons.

ELECTRIC PLANT:

• 2 MTU-396 TE54 engines.
• 1 auxiliary engine.

SENSORS: 2 Sperry navigation radars.

OTHER CAPABILITIES:

• Up to 110 trailers between 32 and 54 tons or 1,200 cars in six decks (4,900 tons).
• Capability for flight operations.
• Capability to embark Special Operations teams.

CREW:51

The vessel’s main mission is the logistic transport of Army vehicles and materiel to and from the peninsula and the Balearic and Canary Islands, as well as the logistic transport in support of Spanish military missions abroad.

The home port of ‘Ysabel’ is Cartagena (SE Spain) as part of the Maritime Action Force.

As a transport vessel, the ‘Ysabel’ is just equipped with self-defense portable weapons like MG machine guns, rifles and pistols to fend off any aggression at sea or while entering or leaving a port.

The ‘Ysabel’ was procured by the Ministry of Defense to operate as logistic vessel to transport Army vehicles and materiel, once the smaller ‘Camino Español’ (A-05) and ‘Martín Posadillo’ (A-04) were decommissioned.

Before being delivered, the ship underwent several refurbishments and modifications to adapt her to the new Army specifications. The seventh deck was removed to accommodate military vehicles and the ship was also painted with gray navy colors.

The ship was named ‘Ysabel’ and given the hull number A-06. The name refers to Queen Isabella of Spain, one of the Catholic sovereign who helped set up the modern Spanish State.

The ‘Ysabel’ is integrated into the Fleet’s Maritime Action Force which comprises a series of units tasked with the protection of national interests and the control of the maritime areas of Spanish sovereignty.

Since her commissioning in 2021 the ‘Ysabel’ has participated in several national and international operations. Among them the transport of material in support of Ukraine in the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian war, and the deployments in the Lebanon and Turkey in 2022 and 2023.

In addition to the international missions, the ‘Ysabel’ also transports material and vehicles between Army bases.