Editing Spanish Navy (section)

===The 20th and 21st centuries===
[[File:Acorazado España.jpg|thumb|{{ship|Spanish battleship|España}} (launched in 1913)]]
During the [[Rif War (1920)|Rif War]] in Morocco, the Spanish Navy conducted operations along the coast, including the [[Alhucemas landing]] in 1925, the first air-naval landing of the world. At that time, the navy developed a [[naval aviation]] branch, the ''Aeronáutica naval''.

====The Spanish Republic and Spanish Civil War====
{{Main|Spanish Republican Navy}}
[[File:Canarias C21 2.jpg|thumb|The cruiser {{ship|Spanish cruiser|Canarias||2}} was the flagship of the Spanish Navy until its discharge in 1975]]

In 1931, following the proclamation of the [[Second Spanish Republic]], the Navy of the Spanish Kingdom became the [[Spanish Republican Navy]]. [[Juan Bautista Aznar-Cabañas|Admiral Aznar]]'s casual comment: ''"Do you think it was a little thing what happened yesterday, that Spain went to bed as a monarchy and rose as a republic"'' became instantly famous, going quickly around [[Madrid]] and around Spain, making people accept the fact and setting a more relaxed mood.<ref>Gabriel Cardona, ''El Problema Militar en España'', Ed. Historia 16, Madrid 1990, pp. 158–159</ref> The Spanish Republican Navy introduced a few changes in the [[Flag of the Second Spanish Republic|flags and ensigns]], as well as in the navy officer rank insignia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/conocenos_historia/03_bandera_armada--10_republica_ii|title=Armada Española – Ministerio de Defensa – Gobierno de España|author=Spanish Navy|work=mde.es|access-date=8 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904072309/http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/conocenos_historia/03_bandera_armada--10_republica_ii|archive-date=4 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[executive curl]] ''(La coca)'' was replaced by a golden five-pointed star and the royal crown of the brass buttons and of the officers' breastplates ''(La gola)'' became a [[mural crown]].

The Spanish Republican Navy became divided after the [[Spanish coup of July 1936|coup of July 1936]] that led to the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936–39). The fleet's two [[España-class battleship|small dreadnoughts]], one [[Spanish cruiser Baleares|heavy cruiser]], one [[Spanish destroyer Almirante Ferrándiz (1928)|large destroyer]] and half a dozen submarines and auxiliary vessels were lost in the course of the conflict.

====World War II====
Like the rest of the Spanish armed forces, the Spanish Francoist Navy maintained [[Francisco Franco]]'s policy of neutrality during [[World War II]].

====Post World War II====
[[File:Torrevieja - Museo Flotante, Submarino S-61 (1).jpg|thumb|left|Submarine {{ship|Spanish submarine|Delfín|S61|2}}, preserved as [[museum ship]] in [[Torrevieja]] ([[Province of Alicante|Alicante]]), becoming the first "floating museum" of these characteristics in Spain]]
[[File:Spanish carrier Dedalo at Naval Station Rota 1976.JPEG|thumb|Spanish [[aircraft carrier]] {{ship|Spanish aircraft carrier|Dédalo||2}} (ex {{USS|Cabot|CVL-28|6}}), flagship between 1975 and 1989, tied up at a pier at [[Naval Station Rota]] in 1976]]
[[File:SNS Principe de Asturias (R11) during Dragon Hammer 92.jpg|thumb|Spanish aircraft carrier {{ship|Spanish aircraft carrier|Príncipe de Asturias||2}}, flagship between 1989 and 2010, during the joint exercise Dragon Hammer '92]]

Since the mid-20th century, the Spanish Navy began a process of reorganization to once again become one of the major navies of the world. After the development of the {{sclass|Baleares|frigate}}s based on the [[US Navy]]'s {{sclass|Knox|frigate|4}}, the Spanish Navy embraced the American [[naval doctrine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militar.org.ua/militar/artilleria/artilleria-naval-meroka-ciws.html|title=Defensa Antimisil Meroka|website=Foro Militar General|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208194557/http://www.militar.org.ua/militar/artilleria/artilleria-naval-meroka-ciws.html|archive-date=8 December 2010|language=es}}</ref> Spain became a member of [[NATO]] in 1982 and the Armada Española has taken part in many coalition peacekeeping operations, from [[SFOR]] to [[Haiti]] and other locations around the world. The Armada is a modern navy with an [[aircraft carrier]] group, a modern [[Spanish ship Juan Carlos I (L61)|strategic amphibious ship]] (which replaced a dedicated [[Spanish aircraft carrier Príncipe de Asturias|aircraft carrier]] in 2011), modern frigates (F-100 class) with the [[Aegis Combat System]], F-80-class frigates, [[minesweeper]]s, new {{sclass2|S-80|submarine}}s, amphibious ships and various other ships, including oceanographic [[research ship]]s.

The Armada's [[special operations]] and unconventional warfare capability is embodied in the Naval Special Warfare Command ('''Mando de Guerra Naval Especial'''), which is under the direct control of the Admiral of the Fleet.  The unit in charge of special operations is the ''Naval Special Warfare Force'' ('''Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial'''), which is a merge of the previous ''Special Operations Unit'' ([[Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE)]]) and the ''Special'' ''Combat Diver Unit'' ('''Unidad Especial de Buceadores de Combate (UEBC)'''). This unit is trained in maritime counter-terrorism, specialized combat diving and swimming, coastal infiltration, ship boarding, direct action, special reconnaissance, hydrographic reconnaissance and underwater demolitions.

Armada officers receive their education at the [[Escuela Naval Militar|Spanish Naval Academy]] (ENM). They are recruited through two different methods:
* '''Militar de Complemento:''' Similar to the U.S. [[ROTC]] program, students are college graduates who enroll in the navy. They spend a year at the Naval Academy and then are commissioned as ensigns and Marine second lieutenants. This path is growing in prestige. Their career stops at the rank of commander (for the Navy) and for the Marines, lieutenant colonel.
* '''Militar de Carrera:''' Students spend one year in the Naval Academy if they apply to the Supply Branch or the Engineering Branch, and five years if they apply as General Branch or Marines, receiving a university degree-equivalent upon graduation and being commissioned as ensigns and Marine second lieutenants.