Spanish Navy names new replenishment ship Martín Álvarez

The Spanish Navy has announced that its new Combat Replenishment Ship (BAC), which will replace the Patiño, will be named Martín Álvarez. The vessel will be constructed by Navantia in Ferrol.

The decision follows a 2021 initiative by Senator José Antonio Monago of the People's Party (PP), who proposed the name to honor the historical figure Martín Álvarez Galán. A grenadier from Montemolín, Extremadura, Álvarez is remembered for his actions during the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797 while aboard the San Nicolás de Bari.

Monago noted that the naming restores a historical tradition, referencing an 1848 Royal Order that had previously mandated a ship named Martín Álvarez be a permanent part of the Navy in recognition of his heroism.