ARC Cubagua

ARC Cubagua is an Auxiliary Support Ship from the Colombian Navy. She was laid down in 1987 and comissioned in early 1980. She is named after a rocky island off the coast of Colombia
ARC Cubagua is the first Cubagua-Class Auxiliary Support Ship to be built, being an innovative approach at a multi-role ship capable of serving as a landing platform for aerial vehicles, carrying supplies and cargo to sustain a fleet, and serving as a medical vessel, deploying platform, secondary icebreaker, and amphibious assault ship. The ship, however, is not painted with red crosses and carries armament with it, being unable of being officially considered as a hospital ship, reasons why it has adopted humanitarian aid roles instead.
Cubagua served as a hospital ship during the Concordian Revolution, serving as a floating support platform, and both West African Wars, during which was deployed as a supply vessel, an intelligence-communications ship and a hospital ship.
The ship's prescence has been recorded to have raised troop morale around the areas where she was deployed with the role of hospital ship during the First West African War, after which she was commemorated with the "Morale Booster" ribbon. Because of her actions during the war she would also be awarded the "High alertness" ribbon too.

Evolution

The vessel, initially thought as an exclusive container carrier would be repurposed as a landing deck and hospital ship by the end of her construction, adopting, for the first time in Colombian navy's history, the now usual layout seen on muliple other Auxiliary and aviation ships on the colombian fleet.

Weapons & Armament

• 2x30mm Autocannons
• 4 multi purpose machine guns
• Capacity for up to 6 helicopters (maximum of 2 in hangar)

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Credits:
Top image: RFA Argus - Dave Sherfield - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RFA_Argus_off_the_coast_of_Devonport.jpg - modified by Colombus

Designation

ARC Cubagua - BAS27

Owning Organization

Colombian Defense Forces

Price

17,5 million €

We would receive docens of casualties onboard during the (first African) war, but we would also receive reports of troop morale increasing as soon as the ship's prescence was known.Onboard sailor, 2001