Antonio Martorell Lacave

Antonio Martorell Lacave
Antonio Martorell Lacave
	Lacave in 2021
Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy
	In office; 10 February 2021 – 31 March 2023
Monarch	Felipe VI
Prime Minister	Pedro Sánchez
Preceded by	Teodoro Esteban López Calderón ; Fausto Escrigas Rodríguez (acting)
Succeeded by	Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez
Personal details
Born	22 August 1960; Bilbao, Spain
Died	31 March 2023 (aged 62); Madrid, Spain
Children	3
Alma mater	Marín’s Naval Academy
Military service
Allegiance	Spain
Branch/service	Spanish Navy
Years of service	1984—2023
Rank	Admiral General
Unit	Spanish Navy Spain
Commands	Cataluña (F73), 2nd Minesweeper Squadron, 1st MCM Squadron, 21 Escort Squadron, Naval Action Group 2, Operation Atalanta, Maritime HQ of Alta Availability, Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy
Battles/wars	Operation Active Endeavor

Antonio Martorell Lacave (22 August 1960 – 31 March 2023) was a Spanish Navy officer. Among other offices, he served as Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy since February 2021 until his death in March 2023.^[1]

Lacave was a veteran submarine, NATO and admiral general of the Spanish Navy (Spanish: Almirante general). He was born on 22 August 1960 in Bilbao. His father had served in Navy Corps of Engineers as a captain.^[2] He enrolled in Marín’s Naval Academy Pontevedra in 1979 and was commissioned as an officer after he graduated in 1984. He subsequently served on frigates, corvettes and minesweepers. He served as commander of the Minesweeper Miño and the NATO Standing Countermine Measures Group No. 2. He served in the Amphibious Assault Ship Castilla, 2nd Minesweeper Squadron as executive. He has lectured at the Armed Forces Higher School. He also served as chief in Torpedoes Workshop Cartagena Shipyard.^[3]

Lacave served in the Directorate-General for Defense Policy of the European Union as chief executive. He served at NATO Joint General HQ, Naples in the exercise division. After he was promoted to rear admiral in 2014, he served at the Logistics Division of the Naval Staff Defence HQ as head until April 2015.^[4]^{[failed verification]}

Lacave commanded the Naval Action Group 2 for several years before becoming Admiral of Naval Action, and he oversaw Operation Atalanta and Maritime HQ of Alta as commander. He was promoted to vice admiral in 2020 and became Admiral of the fleet in May 2020.^[5]

Lacave became Chief of Staff of the Navy in February 2021, succeeding Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón (although Fausto Escrigas Rodríguez had been serving in an acting capacity at the time).^[1]

Lacave died from cancer in Madrid on 31 March 2023, at the age of 62.^[6]

Decorations

Commander with Star of the Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo
Grand Cross of the Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo
Grand Cross of Naval Merit
Cross of Naval Merit
Cross of Military Merit (White Badge)
Kuwait Liberation Medal
Brazilian Naval Medal
Article 5 Medal for Operation Active Endeavor
Cross of the Order Police Merit
Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit, (white badge).

Badges

Peace Operations Badge

References

^ ^a ^b Infodefensa.com, Revista Defensa (9 February 2021). "El almirante Antonio Martorell, nuevo jefe de la Armada - Noticias Infodefensa España". Infodefensa.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ Terradillos, Ana (9 February 2021). "El almirante Antonio Martorell Lacave, nuevo jefe de la Armada". Cadena SER (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ Cádiz, Diario de (9 February 2021). "Antonio Martorell, almirante de la Flota, es el nuevo jefe de la Armada". Diario de Cádiz (in European Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Martorell Lacave, un almirante para salir a flote en tiempos difíciles". Leonoticias (in Spanish). 13 March 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ Navy, Spanish. "Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy - Who Is Who - Armada Española - Ministerio de Defensa - Gobierno de España". armada.defensa.gob.es. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Fallece el jefe de la Armada española, el almirante Martorell Lacave, a los 62 años". abc (in Spanish). 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.

Military offices
Preceded by Teodoro Esteban López Calderón Fausto Escrigas Rodríguez (Acting)	Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy 2021–2023	Succeeded by Vacant

[:1-1] Infodefensa.com, Revista Defensa (9 February 2021). "El almirante Antonio Martorell, nuevo jefe de la Armada - Noticias Infodefensa España". Infodefensa.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[2] Terradillos, Ana (9 February 2021). "El almirante Antonio Martorell Lacave, nuevo jefe de la Armada". Cadena SER (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[3] Cádiz, Diario de (9 February 2021). "Antonio Martorell, almirante de la Flota, es el nuevo jefe de la Armada". Diario de Cádiz (in European Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[4] "Martorell Lacave, un almirante para salir a flote en tiempos difíciles". Leonoticias (in Spanish). 13 March 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[5] Navy, Spanish. "Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy - Who Is Who - Armada Española - Ministerio de Defensa - Gobierno de España". armada.defensa.gob.es. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[6] "Fallece el jefe de la Armada española, el almirante Martorell Lacave, a los 62 años". abc (in Spanish). 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.

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v t e Chiefs of Staff of the Spanish Navy
Restoration 1874–1931	Zoilo Sánchez de Ocaña y Vieitiz 1895–1896 Fernando Martínez de Espinosa y Echeverri 1896 Segismundo Bermejo y Merelo 1896–1897 Ismael Warleta y Ordovás 1897–1898 Manuel Mozo y Díaz Robles 1899–1902 Pascual Cervera y Topete 1902– Federico Estrán y Justo 1908–1909 José de la Puente y Bassave 1909–1910 Joaquín María de Cincúnegui y Marco 1910–1912 Francisco Chacón y Pery 1912–1913 Antonio Perea y Orive 1913–1914 Orestes Gracía de Paadín y García 1914–1915 José Pidal Rebollo 1915–1918 Adriano Sánchez Lobatón 1918–1919 José María Chacón y Pery 1919–1920 Gabriel Antón Iboleón 1920–1924 Ignacio Pintado Gough 1924 Juan Carranza y Garrido 1924–1927 José Rivera Álvarez de Canero 1927 Juan Cervera Valderrama 1927–1931 Francisco Javier de Salas González 1931–1936
Republic 1936–1939	Valentín Fuentes López 1937 Miguel Buiza Fernández-Palacios 1937–1938 Pedro Prado Mendizábal 1938–1939 Julián Sánchez Erostarbe 1939
Dictatorship 1936–1975	Juan Cervera Valderrama 1936–1939 Transferred to the Ministry of the Navy 1939–1942 Alfonso Arriaga Adam 1942–1951 Rafael Estrada Arnaiz 1951–1952 Juan Pastor Tomasety 1952–1956 Felipe José de Abárzuza y Oliva 1956–1957 Santiago Antón Rozas 1957–1963 Jerónimo Bustamante de la Rocha 1963 Fernando Meléndez Bojaro 1963–1966 Rafael Fernández de Bobadilla y Ragel 1966–1967 Adolfo Baturone Colombo 1967–1969 Enrique Barbudo Duarte 1969–1972 Gabriel Pita da Veiga y Sanz 1972–1973 José Ramón González López 1973–1975
Contemporary 1975–present	Carlos Buhigas García 1975–1977 Luis Arévalo Pelluz 1977–1982 Saturnino Suanzes de la Hidalga 1982–1984 Guillermo Salas Cardenal 1984–1986 Fernando María Nárdiz Vial 1986–1990 Carlos Vila Miranda 1990–1994 Juan José Romero Caramelo 1994–1997 Antonio Moreno Barberá 1997–2000 Francisco José Toerrente Sánchez 2000–2004 Sebastián Zaragoza Soto 2004–2008 Manuel Rebollo García 2008–2012 Jaime Muñoz-Delgado y Díaz del Río 2012–2017 Teodoro Esteban López Calderón 2017–2021 Fausto Escrigas Rodríguez (Acting) 2021 Antonio Martorell Lacave 2021–2023