Vice Admiral Manuel Antonio Martinez Ruiz

Director for Engineering and Naval Shipbuilding Spanish Armada

Vice Admiral (VADM) Manuel Antonio Martinez Ruiz, was born in Santander in 1958; He joined the Naval Academy in 1978 and was promoted to Lieutenant line officer in 1983.

In 1995, he joined the Spanish Navy Engineering Branch (Cuerpo de Ingenieros de la Armada) after completing the corresponding studies at the Royal Observatory of the Navy and at the ETSIT (Telecommunications Technical School at the Polytechnic University Madrid). In 2003 he became PhD in Telecommunications Engineering after completing the Phd studies in the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M).

VADM Martinez Ruiz is a graduate of the General Staff. As a Navy Engineer Officer, he was appointed to the Navy Research & Development Center (CIDA), directing R&D projects and representing Spain (DGAM) in international programs and the NATO Research and Development structure, being member of several forums. Subsequently, he was assigned to the F-100 Program Office (1999-2002) in the Navy's Logistics Command as Combat System engineer.

In 2002, he passed the Joint General Staff Course “EMFAS” (2002-2003) at the “CESEDEN” Center in Madrid, and afterwards he was assigned a position in the Logistics Division of the Navy Staff, Navy Programs Section.

In 2005, he was appointed to SPAWAR (International Office of the MIDS Program, Logistics Division), in San Diego, CA (USA), as Spanish representative until 2009, with responsibilities in platform systems integration and in contract negotiation with American and European defense companies.

In 2009, he was moved again to the frigate F-100/F-105 Program Office, being named Head of Program in 2011 and Director for the Operational Qualification Tests (CSSQT) for the Frigate F-105 "Cristobal Colon", in the USA.

In 2014, he was appointed by the MOD Secretary of State, as the new Frigate F-110 Program Manager, in the Directorate General of Armament and Material (DGAM), Subdirectorate for Programs Management.

On March 3, 2018, he was promoted to Rear Admiral and he was appointed as Deputy of Engineering in the Spanish Navy. On September 28, 2018, he was promoted to Vice Admiral and he was appointed as Director of Engineering and Naval Constructions on October 3.

VADM Martinez Ruiz is a frequent lecturer in Universities invited by the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies and CESEDEN, such as the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the Complutense University of Madrid, UC3M, the University of La Rioja, the University of Valladolid, the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, Camilo Jose Cela University, etc. He has been an associate professor at the Universidad Carlos III, and is a tenured professor of the Master in Logistics and Economic Management for the Defense at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and Professor of the International Master of Military Naval Engineering at the Naval Engineering School (ETSIN-UPM). He was given an excellence award by the UCM.

He has also given conferences and seminars on naval programs, BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) capabilities and logistic support integrated in multiple specialized forums, both in Europe and in South America and the US.

He has passed several engineering courses in NATO and in the USA. He has also completed the Program Management and High Logistics Management Courses at CESEDEN. He has extensive international experience in Program Management and Integrated Logistic Support.

He has represented the DGAM in industrial conferences in International Programs in Canada, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, etc...

Married with a son and a great fan of classical piano.