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	F105 €822.99m (~US$1.1bn)
In commission	4
Building	1
Active	Álvaro de Bazán Almirante Juan de Borbón Blas de Lezo Méndez Núñez
General characteristics
Type	Guided missile frigate
Displacement	6,400 tons full load
Length	146.7m
Beam	18.6m
Draft	4.75m
Propulsion	CODOG 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 2 × Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines
Speed	28.5 knots
Range	4,500 nm at 18 knots
Complement	250 (48 officers)
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 F100 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 Alvaro de Bazan 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.

Units

Álvaro de Bazán (F101) outward bound from Portsmouth Naval Base, UK, 21 Nov 2009

Álvaro de Bazán (F101) departing the Theodore Roosevelt battle group

• Álvaro de Bazán (F101) (2002)
• Almirante Juan de Borbón (F102) (2003)
• Blas de Lezo (F103) (2004)
• Méndez Núñez (F104) (2006)
• Cristobal 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 Colón.

See also

• Ferrol, city and naval station in north-western Spain.

External links

• 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.