Álvaro de Bazán-class Guided Missile Frigate

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The Almirante Juan de Bourbon (F-102), the second Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate, underway in the Pacific Ocean during Combat Systems Ship Qualifications Trails on the Pacific Missile Test Center Range off the coast of California.

The Álvaro de Bazán-class Guided Missile Frigate (also known as the F100 class 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 shipyard 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 Sejong the Great-class and Canada's Ontario-class guided missile destroyers, the F100-derived Australian Hobart-class destroyers and Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates also use the Aegis system. Lockheed Martin, Navantia and the US Navy are conducting final systems integration.

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. The original contract for four ships was worth €1,683m but they ended up costing €1,810m. As of 2010 it was estimated that the fifth through seventh vessels, (F-105, F-106 and F-107) would cost €834m (~US$1.1bn) each.

The design of the Roger de Lauria-subclass (F105-F107) contemplates several improvements with respect to the original design of the class. It incorporates new Bravo 16V engines that increase its maximum speed and a bow thruster of 850 kW for operations in port. In weaponry and combat systems, two 25mm Mk.38 guns are added for close defense, a new electronic and submarine warfare control system, Aries surface surveillance radar, SPY-1 radar improvements, and improvements in communications and control systems. The Roger de Lauria-subclass also has an expanded hangar and flight deck that can operate the NH90 maritime helicopter.

The Block II variant of the Álvaro de Bazan-class is being offered by Navantia to the USN as an entrant in the FFG(X) program.

Specifications[edit | edit source]

  • Type: Guided Missile Frigate
  • Service Period: 2002-Present
  • Characteristics
    • Length: 481.3 feet (146.7 meters)
    • Beam: 61.03 feet (18.6 meters)
    • Draught: 15.59 feet (4.75 meters)
    • Displacement: 6,400 tons
  • Crew: 250 (48 officers and 202 enlisted)
  • Power: 77,200 shp
  • Propulsion:
    • 2 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 46,648 shp
    • 2 x Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines, 12,000 hp
    • 4 x MTU 12V396TE54 diesel generators, 4,400 kW
  • Range: 4,500 nautical miles (8,334 kilometers) at 18 knots (33.34 km/hr)
  • Speed: 28.5 Knots (52.79 km/h)
  • Sensor Suite/Countermeasures
    • Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D(V)3D multifunction radar
    • Raytheon SPS-67(V)4 surface search radar
    • ARIES navigation/surface radar x 2
    • FABA DORINA Fire Control System
    • Raytheon SPG-62 Mk.99 radar illuminator x 2
    • Raytheon DE1160 LF active and passive sonar (LW-HP53 in F105-F107)
    • STN Atlas TASS 6-3 Towed Array Sonar
  • Countermeasures:
    • FMC SRBOC Mk36 flare launchers x 4
    • SLQ-25A Enhanced Nixie torpedo countermeasures
    • Indra SLQ-380 EW suite
    • Indra Mk 9500 interceptor
  • Armament
    • 1 x Mark 45 Mod 2 5"/54-caliber lightweight naval gun
    • 1 x 48-cell Mk 41 Mod 12 vertical launch systems (armed with 32 SM-2MR Block IIIA, 64 RIM-162 ESSM)
    • 2 x 4-cannister Mk.141 SSM Launchers (fires RGM-84 Harpoon AShMs)
    • 1 x FABA 20mm/120 Meroka CIWS system.
    • 4 x 12.75" Mk.32 Mod 9 double Torpedo launchers with 12 Honeywell Mk.46 mod 5 lightweight torpedoes
  • Aircraft Carried: 1 x SH-60 LAMPS III Seahawk or NHIndustries NH90 maritime helicopter

Unit Run[edit | edit source]

Block I[edit | edit source]

  • SPS Álvaro de Bazán (F101)
  • SPS Almirante Juan de Borbón (F102)
  • SPS Blas de Lezo (F103)
  • SPS Méndez Núñez (F104)

Block II[edit | edit source]

  • SPS Roger de Lauria (F105)
  • SPS Juan de Austria (F106)
  • SPS Cristóbal Colón (F107)

See Also[edit | edit source]

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