Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate


The Álvaro de Bazán class, also known as the F100 class, is a class of Aegis combat system-equipped air defence frigates in service with the Spanish Navy. The vessels were built by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia in Ferrol, with the lead ship of the class named for Admiral Álvaro de Bazán.
The ships are fitted with American Aegis weapons system allowing them to track hundreds of airborne targets simultaneously as part of its air defence network. The Álvaro de Bazán-class multi-role frigates are one of the few non-US warships to carry the Aegis system and its associated SPY-1D radar. The American, Japanese, Korean, Australian, and the Norwegian also use the Aegis system.
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 €1.683 billion but they ended up costing €1.81 billion. it was estimated that the final vessel, F-105 would cost €834m.

Ships in class

Six ships were originally planned, including Roger de Lauria and Juan de Austria. These were cancelled but a fifth ship was later added as the F105 Cristóbal Colón.

Export

The class is the basis of the Australian Hobart-class destroyers, 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, however this was delayed until 2017 when lead ship was commissioned.