Ferrol Naval Base (Arsenal de Ferrol)

Ferrol Naval Base, officially the Arsenal of Ferrol, is the Spanish Navy's principal base on the Atlantic. It stands at Ferrol, in Galicia on Spain's north-western coast, on the Ría de Ferrol. The installation combines an arsenal, shipyard and fleet base and is commanded by a vice admiral.

The base homeports the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates — Álvaro de Bazán, Almirante Juan de Borbón, Blas de Lezo, Méndez Núñez and Cristóbal Colón — the Serviola-class ocean patrol vessels Serviola, Centinela, Vigía and Atalaya, and the patrol ship Cabo Fradera. The replenishment oilers Patiño and Cantabria are also based at Ferrol.

Berthing is arranged around the arsenal basin, with mooring space along its perimeter. Dock 5 was enlarged in 2003 to accommodate the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates, and new facilities were built for docks 1 and 2. Shore support includes an Electricity and Electronics Workshop, a cannon workshop, a steam engine workshop of earlier date, and warehousing. Marine Infantry barracks are co-located on the base. Shipbuilding and repair capacity at Ferrol has produced Spanish capital ships since the 18th century, including the España-class battleships in the early 20th century; by 1912 the yards concentrated on battleships and cruisers, with destroyers and submarines built at Cartagena. The Naval Archive of Ferrol opened on the base in 2013.

Warships first used the Ría de Ferrol in the 16th century, and in 1724 Felipe V designated Ferrol the principal Atlantic port of the Spanish Navy, the arsenal entering use from 1726. Construction of the shipyards and arsenal, proposed under José Patiño and carried out by the Marqués de la Ensenada from 1743, produced a yard capable of building twelve ships at once; the first, San Fernando, was launched in 1751. The arsenal was largely complete by 1790, employing 5,440 men and able to maintain 70 ships, and the School of Machinists and School of Naval Engineers were added in 1850. The installation was substantially rebuilt and modernised over the course of the 20th century.