History of a great ship: ROU 26 "Vanguard".

Uruguay is known all around the world for its soccer team. Today, I’d like you to know something really interesting about Uruguay.

There are only 68 Scientific-Military Bases in Antarctica, one of them is the Uruguayan one. The General Artigas Station (Spanish: Base Científica Antártica Artigas), also referred to as the Artigas Base is a tiny Uruguayan scientific research station in Antarctica.

The Artigas Base depends on the Uruguayan Antarctic Institute Plans & Operations Direction which is ruled by an Interministerial Council, with delegates of MoD, Foreign Affairs and members of the Ministry of Education and Culture. 

Uruguay is a Consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty since October 7^th 1985, has a permanent, active and autonomous activity as a National Governmental Program in Antarctic. The base operates year-round, with a staff of 8-10 people in winter times and can accommodate up to 60 people in the summer. Since 1985 it is continuously operating, maintaining a weather station which is part of the global meteorological network. During the summer months many projects and studies are held in Antarctica; teams of researchers involved in scientific activities related to studies of glaciology, paleontology, ocean tides, animal life, human psychology and many other projects.

There are two ways to get there, one of them is by airplane and the other one is by ship. I had the honor to visit one of the ships that goes to Antarctica every year and takes supplies and everything the personnel needs to survive a year in this iced continent.

The ROU 26 "VANGUARD" was built in the shipyards of Gdansk City, Poland and served in the Volksmarin (German Democratic Republic) on December 28^th, 1976 with the name "Otto von Guericke". In November of 1991, after the unification of the two Germanies, the ship was decommissioned from active service, and it started to be part of the Bundesmarine resting on the Naval base in Warnemunde.

It was reactivated by the first Uruguayan crew in the Neptun Werft dike.

On December 18^th, 1991, the national flag was asserted in the naval base of Rostock, under the name of "Vanguard".

Since then, the ship has been performing various missions such as ship manager of supply and logistical support from the General Artigas Antarctic scientific base as well as diving rescue ship and given its outstanding capabilities to fulfill that task which is still carried out without interruption until today.

Throughout these years the "Vanguard" has been the instrument by which it has begun to write the history of Uruguay as one of the State members of the Antarctic Treaty.

On November 3^rd Alférez de Navío Agustin Paolino showed me the ship, explaining me the history of Vanguard and its functions. It remains for me to say "thank you" to the Uruguayan Navy for allowing me to visit Vanguard and  “thank you very much" for everything you do; what you all do, makes me feel honored to be part of this country.

Click here to see more pictures of the ship.