The Meteoro-class offshore patrol vessel, also known as Buque de Acción Marítima (BAM), are new modular offshore patrol vessels of the Spanish Navy adapted to different purposes from a common base, manufactured by Navantia. The BAMs combine high performance with mission versatility, a high commonality with other ships operated by the Spanish Navy. Acquisition and lifecycle costs are reduced.

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

Rayo (P-42)
Class overview
Builders	NAVANTIA
Operators	Spanish Navy
Cost	€183 million (2020)[1][2][3] per unit
Planned	12
Completed	6
Active	6
General characteristics
Type	Offshore patrol vessel
Displacement	2,860 t (full load)
Length	93.9 m (308 ft)
Beam	14.2 m (47 ft)
Draft	4.2 m (14 ft)
Propulsion	2 diesel engines 4 groups diesel generators 2 electric motors propellers 1 Emergency generator Located 2 cross bow thruster
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+
Range	3,500 nmi (4,000 mi; 6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	46 crew and 30 forces[citation needed]
Armament	1 OTO Melara 76 mm 2 × 25 mm automatic mountings Mk 38 MOD 2A 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns M2 Browning 4 × Mark 36 SRBOC
Aircraft carried	1 × Agusta-Bell 212

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The BAMs are a common platform for a variety of missions, used to develop whole families of types of ships that meet the diverse needs of the Navy.

Its main missions are:

• Protection and escort of other ships in low intensity/asymmetric warfare situations
• Control of maritime traffic
• Control and neutralization of terrorism and piracy
• Operations against drug trafficking and human trafficking
• Search and rescue
• Support for crisis situations and humanitarian aid
• Control of fishing laws
• Control of environmental legislation and anti-pollution.

Modular design enables the ships to be modified for purposes outside main missions such as hydrographic research, intelligence gathering, diving support and salvage operations.

The BAM project consists of 12 vessels.^[4]

Construction began on 4 October 2007 with the cutting of the first sheet and was placed on the stands the first on 13 March 2009, in the shipyard San Fernando. The budget was €352m but the final cost was €488.4m for four units (~US$160m each).^[9]

In June 2009, the Secretary of State for Defence and Congress confirmed the construction of a second batch to replace older patrol boats of the Anaga (3), Toralla (2), Descubierta (4) and the now-retired Barceló (6) and Conejera (4) classes. In September 2010, the Ministry of Defence said a contract would be signed with Navantia for four additional vessels to be delivered by 2015, but the contract has yet to be signed. Navantia has indicated that the Batch 2 vessels will be more modular, with the potential to switch between oceanography, intelligence gathering and search-and-rescue. One will be a diving support vessel, and one will be a research vessel for hydrography and logistical support in the Antarctic. The acquisition of two vessels, to enter service in 2019, was formally approved by the Spanish cabinet on 18 July 2014 at a cost of €166.74m (US$224m) each.^[10] However, the envisaged in service date was subsequently delayed until the mid-2020s.

After the authorization by the Ministry of Finance in 2020 of the investment of 167 million euros,26 at the end of 2021 the Ministry of Defense signed the order to execute the project for the construction of a new BAM, in its intervention version subacuática (BAM-IS).27 In April 2023 it was confirmed that it would receive the name Poseidon and the numeral "A-21".^[11]

In June 2023, after the approval of the Treasury, the Council of Ministers began the procedures for the construction of two new BAMs for maritime patrol, with extensive anti-submarine warfare capabilities, for 550 million euros.^[12]