The Rota Naval Base welcomed this morning the ‘USS Oscar Austin’, the fifth destroyer which will expand the North American military presence in the area. Built in the city of Bath (state of Maine) and put into service on August 19, 2000, this multi-mission ship will become part of NATO’s anti-missile shield. It arrives in the middle of a turbulent war context, with an open front in Ukraine that has not yet been closed and another in Israel, where on October 2 the help of two destroyers in Rota was key to intercepting drones and ballistic missiles that were heading directly from Iran. Like its ‘brothers’, the ‘USS Oscar Austin’ will play a crucial role in defense against anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, anti-surface warfare and ballistic missiles. In addition, you will also be entrusted with a vital function of support for maritime security operations and other contingency operationswhich will begin to develop from today or, rather, from yesterday when its imposing figure appeared for the first time on Pier 1 of the Rota Naval Base. Although he didn’t do it alone.
With the USS Oscar Austin they arrive 350 new US Navy personnel and almost 200 family members who will join the community of the Rota Naval Base, to begin a new chapter in their lives thousands of kilometers from their country of origin, in a town that has traditionally received them with open arms. “When we prepare and deploy support for those common ideals that have linked our nations for centuries. You train and prepare together with us, as we leave the Base and enter the beautiful and narrow streets of the wonderful community that welcomes us,” said Teague Suárez, official commander of the Rota Naval Base, in his speech.
This wave of welcomes will also have a direct impact on the local economy. Rian Harris, acting ambassador of the United States Government in Spain, pointed in her forecast to an “increase in economic activity” due to the addition of “400 more jobs, an increase in salaries and benefits for local workers. A 35% increase in the contract for the maintenance of the five ships, and that means 90 million euros of maintenance spending for the coming years”. An investment that will be received with open arms by the naval sector, which has immediately detected a valuable opportunity in the arrival of the USS Oscar Austin. Admiral of the Navy Fleet Eugenio Díaz del Río assured that although “it is an effort for the Spanish Navy to host this ship here, it is another opportunity for the shipyards.”
The crew members were received this Wednesday morning in a grand ceremony, in the purest American style. Music of trumpets, clarinets and saxophones started to welcome. A march with the flags of both countries raised to the sky completed the prelude. The military authorities of both the United States and Spain intertwined in a sign of brotherhood to reinforce a diplomatic relationship described as successful since the first foundations of the military complex were laid on Rota soil back in the 1950s. A union that is intended to continue excavating to reinforce the strategic position of Rota as a key point for the United States in the world. “The USS Oscar Austin is a symbol of the next chapter in the long history of enduring alliance between Spain and the United States“, Harris expressed in his speech in front of the lectern. “A history spanning decades of defense cooperation, both bilateral and through NATO.”
The importance of collaboration between both countries was one of the elements most mentioned during the different interventions that endorses the current bilateral agreement in this shared space for military use. Scott Oudkirk, representative of the NATO mission in Europe, stated along these lines that “for three quarters of a century, NATO has successfully ensured peace and prosperity for our citizens, and today that alliance is stronger, more united and more relevant than ever before. This deployment not only strengthens the bond between the United States and Spain. “It strengthens the NATO alliance as a whole.”
A union that, in the coming years, will continue to strengthen through the increase of destroyers in the area. By 2026, the arrival of a new ship to Rota is expected, which will increase the number from four to six destroyers.in accordance with the Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Kingdom of Spain that the United States ambassador to Spain, Julissa Reynoso, signed during her visit to the capital on May 8, 2023. The ‘USS Oscar Austin’, first Flight IAA of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers will therefore be the penultimate before completing the United States anti-missile shield in Rota in barely two years.
Features of the USS Oscar Austin
A displacement of 9,200 tons and a length of 155 metersplace the ‘USS Oscar Austin’ as one of the largest destroyers on the entire planet. In addition, its advanced technology through four General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines allows it to travel speeds greater than 30 knots or, in other words, more than 56km/h. An important deployment capacity.
