| Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate | |
|---|---|
 Almirante Juan de Borbón | |
| Class overview | |
| Builders: | NAVANTIA-IZAR, Astillero Ferrol |
| Operators: |
 Spanish Navy |
| Subclasses: |
Fridtjof Nansen class frigate Hobart class destroyer |
| Cost: |
F101/4 €453m[1] (~US$600m) each F105 €834m[1] (~US$1.1bn) |
| In commission: | 5 |
| Building: | 0 |
| Active: |
Álvaro de Bazán Almirante Juan de Borbón Blas de Lezo Méndez Núñez Cristóbal Colón |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Guided missile frigate |
| Displacement: | 5,800-6,391 tonnes[2] |
| Length: | 146.7m[3] |
| Beam: | 18.6m |
| Draft: | 4.75m |
| Propulsion: |
CODOG 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 2 × Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines |
| Speed: | 28.5 knots[3] |
| Range: | 4,500 nm at 18 knots[3] |
| Complement: | 250 (48 officers)[3] |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D 3-D multifunction radar Raytheon SPS-67(V)4 surface search radar Raytheon DE1160 LF active and passive sonar 2 x ARIES navigation/surface radar 2 × Raytheon SPG-62 Mk99 radar illuminator |
| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
4 × FMC SRBOC Mk36 flare launchers SLQ-25A Enhanced Nixie torpedo countermeasures Indra SLQ-380 EW suite Indra Mk 9500 interceptor |
| Armament: |
1 × 5-inch/54 Mk45 Mod 2 gun Provision for one CIWS FABA 20mm/120 Meroka system. 1 × 48 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems 32 × Standard SM-2MR Block IIIA 64 × RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile 8 × McDonnell Douglas RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile 4 × 324 mm Mk32 Mod 9 double Torpedo launchers with 12 Honeywell Mk46 mod 5 Torpedo |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 × Sikorsky SH-60B LAMPS III Seahawk |
The Álvaro de Bazán class (also known as the F100 class of frigates) are a new class of Aegis combat system-equipped air defence frigates entering service with the Spanish Navy. They are being built in the Spanish factory of Navantia in Ferrol and are named after Admiral Álvaro de Bazán.
The ships are fitted with American Aegis weapons technology allowing them to track hundreds of airborne targets simultaneously as part of its air defence network. The F100 Alvaro de Bazan class multi-role frigate is one of the few non-US warships to carry the Aegis Combat System and its associated AN/SPY-1 radar. Japan's Kongo-class, South Korea's King Sejong the Great-class, the F100-derived Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class of frigates also use the Aegis system. Lockheed Martin, Navantia and the U.S. Navy are conducting final systems integration.
The F105 will be the basis of the Australian Hobart-class destroyer (previously known as the "Air Warfare Destroyer"). The Australian government announced in June 2007 that, in partnership with Navantia, three F100 vessels will be built for the Royal Australian Navy with the first due for delivery in 2014.
The Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates are the first modern vessels of the Spanish Navy to incorporate ballistic resistant steel in the hull, along with the power plants being mounted on anti-vibration mounts to reduce noise and make them less detectable by submarines. The original contract for four ships was worth €1,683m but they ended up costing €1,810m.[1] As of 2015[update] it was estimated that the final vessel, F-105 would cost €834m[1] (~US$1.1bn).
Units[]
- Álvaro de Bazán (F101) (2002)
- Almirante Juan de Borbón (F102) (2003)
- Blas de Lezo (F103) (2004)
- Méndez Núñez (F104) (2006)
- Cristóbal Colón (F105) (2012)
6 ships were originally planned, including Roger de Lauria (F105) and Juan de Austria (F106). These were cancelled but a fifth ship was later added as the F105 Cristóbal Colón.
See also[]
- Ferrol, city and naval station in north-western Spain.
- FREMM multipurpose frigate
- Hobart-class destroyer
- De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate
- Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate, Denmark
- Sachsen-class frigate
References[]
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Álvaro de Bazán Class. |
- Armada Española
- Spanish Navy page on Andrew Toppan's Haze Gray and Underway
- See Armada Española Photos
- BUQUESDEGUERRA.TK, a Spanish website about warships (Spanish)
- Spanish Ship Joins TR Strike Group
- Spain: Frigate not involved in combat
- Navy unveils $11b warship contract, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, accessed 20 June 2007.
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