5 October, 2016 by Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

Farewell of Admiral of the Fleet, Javier Franco Suanzes

This morning, a farewell ceremony for Admiral Javier Franco Suanzes as Admiral of the Fleet (ALFLOT) was held aboard the amphibious assault ship “Galicia,” docked at the Naval Base of Rota, a position he has held for approximately one year. Various civil and military authorities from the Bay of Cádiz attended the ceremony.

A company of honors participated in the event, composed of a section of Marine Infantry, a section of the Naval Action Force, and another formed by personnel from the Aircraft Flotilla. The Admiral of the Fleet, who will soon transition to reserve status after more than forty years of active service, bid farewell to the Flag and delivered heartfelt words to those present.

Admiral Franco Suanzes was born in Madrid on March 16, 1953. He entered the Naval Military School in 1972 and received his commission as a ship ensign in 1977. He has served on the destroyer “Jorge Juan,” the minehunter “Júcar,” the corvette “Infanta Elena,” the frigate “Santa María,” and as the orders chief of the 41st Escort Squadron. He has been the commander of the patrol boat “Javier Quiroga,” the corvette “Cazadora,” and the frigate “Numancia.”

Among his land assignments, he served in the Training Assessment Office for Fleet Training, as a professor at the Electronic Warfare Instruction Center, and in the Human Resources Plans section at the Navy Personnel Headquarters. Between 2003 and 2006, holding the rank of captain, he directed the Naval Military School of Marín.

As a rear admiral, he led the Operations Division of the Navy General Staff and the Fleet Projection Units Group, which included the aircraft carrier “Príncipe de Asturias,” amphibious ships, and landing vessels.

In August 2009, he was promoted to vice admiral. As Commander of the Naval Command of the Canary Islands and the Maritime Action Force, he was promoted to admiral in September 2012 and was appointed second AJEMA, a position he held until his appointment in July 2015 as Admiral of the Fleet, a role he has served in until now.