Antonio Martorell Lacave

Spanish admiral general (1960–2023)

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	(1960-08-22)22 August 1960 Bilbao, Spain
Died	31 March 2023(2023-03-31) (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 admiral general. 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.