The Álvaro de Bazán class (F100 class of frigates) are a new class of Aegis combat system-equipped air defense frigates entering service with the Spanish Navy. They are being built in the Spanish factory of Ferrol and are named after Admiral Álvaro de Bazán.
The ships utilize American Aegis weapons technology allowing them to track hundreds of airborne targets simultaneously as part of its air defense network. The F100 Alvaro de Bazan class multirole frigate is one of the few non-US warships to carry the SPY-1D AEGIS system (Japan's Kongo class also uses SPY-1).
The Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen class of frigates is a derivative design. The F100 will also 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.
Lockheed Martin, Navantia and the U.S. 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, reducing the noise and making them less detectable by submarines.
Recently the Spanish Navy signed a 72 million USD contract to buy and install 24 Tomahawk missiles in the F100 fleet. During the first 5 years of service, this technology cannot be used by the Spanish Navy without the permission of US authorities.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | NAVANTIA-IZAR, Astillero Ferrol |
| Operators: |  Spanish Navy |
| Subclasses: | Fridtjof Nansen class frigate Hobart class destroyer |
| In commission: | 4 |
| Building: | 1 |
| Planned: | 6 |
| Active: | Álvaro de Bazán Almirante Juan de Borbón Blas de Lezo Méndez Núñez |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Guided missile frigate |
| Displacement: | 6,250 tons full load |
| Length: | 147m |
| Beam: | 18.6m |
| Draft: | 4.75m |
| Propulsion: | CODAG 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 2 × Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines |
| Speed: | 29+ knots |
| Range: | 5000 mi |
| Complement: | 240 (35 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 Thales Scout navigation radar 2 × Raytheon SPG-62 Mk99 radar illuminator |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: | 4 × FMC SRBOC Mk36 flare launchers SLQ-25A Enhanced Nixie torpedo countermeasures Indra SLQ-380 EW suite CESELSA Elnath Mk 9000 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-shipping missile 4 × 324 mm Mk32 Mod 9 triple Torpedo launchers with 12 Honeywell Mk46 mod 5 Torpedo |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 × Sikorsky SH-60B LAMPS III Seahawk |
