Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva is a 1987 graduate of the Spanish Naval Academy.

In 1989 he earned his US Navy wings, becoming a Naval Aviator. He then flew the AV-8V PLUS on board the Spanish carrier ‘PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS.’ During that period, he was also appointed as an exchange pilot with the Spanish Airforce, flying the EF-18 A+ and taking part in the B-H conflict, where he flew several combat missions deployed from Aviano AB, Italy.

He has Commanded the gun patrol boat ‘P-11 BARCELO’, the high seas patrol boat ‘P-63 ARNOMENDI’, the LST ‘L-42 PIZARRO’, the Fleet Air Arm ‘FLOAN’ and the Airfield of the Rota Naval Base. He was the Director of the Fleet Naval Aviation School and the CO of the 9th HARRIER Squadron.

Ashore, he has served in a variety of assignments, most notably as a staff officer in the International Relations Department at the Navy HQ, as ACOS N3 in the SPMARFOR High
Readiness Maritime HQ, and as Head of the Operations department at the Spanish Fleet HQ.

Abroad he was stationed in Mons, Belgium, serving at SHAPE J5 as the ACO capability requirements and force planning officer; and in Pristina, Kosovo, working as UN peace observer and liaison officer between KFOR HQ and UNMIK HQ.

Additionally, he has attended several national and NATO courses including the NATO Operational Planning, NATO Staff Officer Defense Planning, NATO expeditionary operations
and the Combined Force Maritime Component Commander for Flag Officers. He graduated with distinction from the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, after having completed the Naval Staff and the Naval Command Courses in years 2001 and 2018 respectively. He also obtained a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the same US Naval War College. His academic background is completed with a job as a professor at the High Defense Studies Center in Madrid, Spain.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral on the 5th December 2019. As Flag Officer he has been appointed as 2nd Commander of the Spanish High Readiness Maritime HQ and DCOM
SPMARFOR. He was appointed as Force Commander of the EUNAVFOR Somalia Op Atalanta on board the frigates NUMANCIA and SANTA MARIA.

On February 2020 he was appointed as COS of the Spanish Fleet HQ, coordinating actions, implementing orders, and conducting naval activities for eleven subordinate commands.

On 31st October 2023 he is promoted vice admiral and on the 22nd November 2023 he is appointed as Operation Commander of EUNAVFOR ATALANTA.

He has several national Navy medals, one UN medal, one UE medal, one NATO medal and one SPAF medal, and numerous awards and citations.

He is married to Matilde Martin and has four children.