Spanish intelligence ship Alerta
Spanish Navy ship
Alerta is the only intelligence gathering ship operated by the Spanish Navy. It has been so since 1992 when the ship was bought from Germany. Prior to that the ship, then named Jasmund, had been operating for the Volksmarine until the German reunification.
According to the Spanish Navy, the ship is based at Cartagena Naval Base, as a member of the Maritime Action Unit.
Mission
Official communications for the Spanish Navy lists Alerta's mission as: "Logistic transport between national and international ports, as well as exercising sovereignty and protecting our national maritime interests".
However, given the nature of the ship's equipment, it is widely known that Alerta also performs eavesdropping missions mainly along the Maghreb analyzing electromagnetic signals between 1 and 40 GHz. Additionally, a modular electronic suit allows the ship to fulfill other missions for different branches of both the Spanish military and allied nations.
History
The ship was the last of the five Darss-class transport ships build by Neptun Werft in East Germany during the 1980s. Later, it was refurbished as an intelligence gathering ship for the Volksmarine. After the German Reunification the ship was mothballed and offered for sale or scrap.
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