΄Reina Ysabel΄ in Corfu Port

CORFU. This is the first time that the vehicle carrier ΄Reina Ysabel΄ has visited the port of Corfu.
On Thursday, May 29, the Spanish Navy transport ship Reina Ysabel docked at the port of Corfu, during its return journey to its base, coming from the port of Alexandroupolis.
In Alexandroupolis, in the preceding days, the ship had unloaded vehicles (including Leopard-2E battle tanks and Pizarro armoured fighting vehicles) and other heavy equipment belonging to the Spanish Army, in order to participate in the major NATO exercise named Immediate Response 2025, which is being conducted in Greece (at Petrochori, Xanthi), Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
The exercise, which runs from May 26 to June 9, involves 12,000 troops from NATO member countries, 3,000 of whom were deployed from other nations.
This is the first time the transport ship Reina Ysabel has visited the port of Corfu.
The ship was originally built as a civilian vehicle ferry for the Spanish shipping company Suardiaz, under the name Galicia, and was launched in 2003. In 2021, it was purchased by the Spanish Navy and renamed A06 Reina Ysabel (“Queen Isabella”). Since then, it has been used for logistical support missions and the transport of personnel and all types of materials (vehicles, supplies, humanitarian aid in cases of natural disasters, etc.).
Among its most notable missions to date was its arrival in Poland in April 2022, where it delivered military equipment and other supplies to support Ukraine’s needs on the front line.
The ship is 149 metres long, 21 metres wide, and has a displacement of 16,300 tons. It is unarmed, and its maximum speed is 15.8 knots. Across its seven decks, it can transport approximately 1,400 passenger vehicles or 110 large trucks. These are loaded and unloaded (roll on – roll off) via the stern ramp it is equipped with.
GERASIMOS MARTINIS