U.S. Navy Seabee divers assigned to Underwater Construction Team (UCT) One, Construction Dive Detachment Charlie (CDD/C) conducted a bilateral dive exchange with Spanish Navy divers in Cartagena, Spain, from March 18–26, 2026, advancing maritime infrastructure assessment capabilities in support of U.S. 6th Fleet objectives.
The engagement, conducted under the U.S.–Spain Bilateral Training and Exercise Conference (BTEC) framework, will pair UCT One Sailors with divers from the Spanish Navy’s Centro de Buceo de la Armada and Escuela Militar de Buceo at Naval Station La Algameca.
“This exchange is designed to build technical interoperability while developing a shared understanding of port infrastructure conditions and expeditionary diving capabilities,” said Lt.j.g. Alice Morgan, CDD/C officer in charge. “Working side by side with Spanish Navy divers strengthens our collective ability to operate across the maritime domain.”
During the exchange, U.S. and Spanish divers conducted classroom instruction, safety and emergency procedure reviews, SCUBA and surface-supplied diving operations, underwater inspections, remotely operated vehicle operations, and hydrographic survey training. The training also included bilateral Level I and Level II waterfront facility inspections to collect hydrographic and engineering data that informs future sustainment and construction planning.
“Port infrastructure is what lets the fleet move and fight,” said Senior Chief Constructionman Estephan Lopez, CDD/B assistant officer in charge and Master Diver. “By getting eyes and hands on these facilities alongside the Spanish Navy, we’re helping set conditions for future operations while sharpening our own expeditionary skills.”
The engagement supports NATO maritime readiness by advancing Spain’s underwater inspection and construction capability while enabling U.S. Navy planners to assess seaport of debarkation infrastructure critical to freedom of maneuver and logistics support in the Mediterranean region.
Spain’s strategic location at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea makes it a key NATO ally for maritime security and power projection into Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The dive exchange builds on a long-standing U.S.–Spain defense relationship and sets conditions for future cooperative construction projects and multinational exercises.
UCT One is a specialized unit within the Naval Construction Force that provides expeditionary underwater construction, military diving, and maritime engineering capabilities in support of naval, joint, and combined operations worldwide.
22nd NCR, headquartered in Rota, Spain, commands naval construction forces for Navy Expeditionary Combat Forces Europe-Africa/Task Force 68, supporting U.S., allied, and partner interests across the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
Task Force 68 (CTF 68) is a component of the U.S. 6th Fleet and commands all Naval Expeditionary Combat Forces in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility. These expeditionary forces provide maritime engineering and combat support capabilities in remote, austere, and complex environments.