Antares
, the Spanish Navy’s remaining Castor-class survey ship, was decommissioned on 16 February.
(Spanish Navy)

The Spanish Navy has retired its remaining operational Castor-class survey ship
Antares
(A 23) after 50 years of service. A formal decommissioning ceremony was held at Puntales Naval Station in San Fernando, Cádiz, on 16 February, the Spanish Navy announced the same day.

Built by Bazán (now Navantia) and commissioned into service in 1974,
Antares
is the third of an original class of four 363 tonne 38 m Castor-class survey ships that entered service in the 1960s–70s.

Antares
was used for a wide range of tasks and missions, including hydrographic and oceanographic surveys and underwater seabed exploration, and the updating of nautical charts, lighthouse books, coastal photography, and meteorological data.

The Castor class will be replaced by two new coastal hydrographic vessels (Buques Hidrográficos Costeros: BHCs) as the first step in the Spanish Navy’s efforts to renew its ageing hydrographic flotilla.