The XXXVIII Antarctic Campaign of the Spanish Army raises the Spanish Flag in Antarctica

Once again this year, the Spanish flag has been raised on Deception Island, the most remote Spanish military base, located 12,560 km from Madrid.

A flight to Antarctica on a United States Air Force C-17 aircraft seen from within
Antarctic Snow Cruiser, a huge exploration vehicle that disappeared in Antarctica

On that island, located in Antarctica, is the Gabriel de Castilla Antarctic Base, built in 1989 and which celebrated its 35th anniversary a few days ago. This year's mission is already the XXXVIII Antarctic Campaign of the Spanish Army (CAET), and it began on November 20.

On that day, the Oceanographic Research Vessel (BIO) "Hespérides" of the Spanish Navy set sail from Cartagena bound for Ushuaia, Argentina, from where it had the mission of providing logistical support to the Gabriel de Castilla Antarctic Base and the "Juan Carlos I" Base on Livingston Island, the second Spanish base in Antarctica, directed and managed by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

The CAET has also received support from the Bulgarian scientific research vessel "Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius", which set sail from Cartagena in mid-November with more logistical material for the Gabriel de Castilla Antarctic Base. In addition, the CSIC's Oceanographic Vessel "Sarmiento de Gamboa" set sail from Vigo with more material for the aforementioned Antarctic military base, sailing towards Punta Arenas (Chile), to embark the soldiers who are taking part in this edition of the CAET.

The members of this CAET flew from Madrid to Chile on December 26th. This small military contingent is made up of 15 people, 3 women and 12 men. Of these, 13 are members of the Army and 2 belong to the Common Corps of the Armed Forces.

The big news this year is the addition to this deployment of the CSIC's new oceanographic vessel "Odón de Buen", which set sail on January 4 from Vigo bound for Antarctica with more logistical material for the CAET, including the New Scientific Module that is going to be installed at the Gabriel de Castilla base.

As reported by CAET, this year its mission includes more than a dozen research projects within the framework of the National Research and International Cooperation Plan of the State Research Agency, among which three time series stand out, an opportunity project of the Ministry of Defense (IHM-DGAM-INTA) and the volcanic surveillance services, the responsibility of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and meteorological prediction services by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

On January 2, the landing of CAET personnel on Deception Island from the oceanographic vessel "Sarmiento de Gamboa" began. Yesterday, the Spanish Army published images of the raising of the Spanish flag on Deception Island, in which we see CAET soldiers and the crew of the vessel "Sarmiento de Gamboa" saluting in this symbolic act.

I wish a successful mission to all members of CAET, as well as to the civilian scientists who are accompanying them on this campaign.

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Photos: CSIC / Ministerio de Defensa / Ejército de Tierra / Campaña Antártica del Ejército de Tierra.