The launching and characteristics of the first Spanish frigate of the 'Bonifaz' class F-110

This Thursday, September 11, the Spanish Navy experienced a very special day with the launch of the first of its future frigates.

Naval Strike Missile: the modern anti-ship missile that the Spanish Navy will receive
The launch of a RIM-162 ESSM missile by the Spanish frigate 'Cristóbal Colón'

The launch took place at the Navantia Ferrol shipyards in this city in northern Galicia, near the Ferrol Military Arsenal, where the five "Álvaro de Bazán" F-100 class frigates are based, which are currently the most modern combat ships in Spain.

The frigate "Bonifaz" is 145 meters long, 18 meters wide, and has a draft of 5 meters. It is expected to have a displacement of 6,100 tons, which means it will be lighter than the last of the F-100 frigates, the "Cristóbal Colón" F-105, which has a displacement of 6,391 tons (it is the heaviest of its class: the first, the "Álvaro de Bazán" F-101, has a displacement of 5,800 tons).

The launching ceremony began at 7:00 p.m., coinciding with high tide. Her Majesty Queen Sofia was the ship's godmother, performing the traditional throwing of a bottle against the hull of the ship, after a chaplain blessed the vessel. You can watch the video of the live broadcast of the launch broadcast by Navantia here:

The frigate "Bonifaz" was authorized on March 29, 2019. The construction of the ship began on April 6, 2022 with its laying on the slipway. It is scheduled to enter service with the Spanish Navy in 2028. You can see some images of the launch here.

The Navantia Ferrol shipyards were packed with people for this event. After all, the launch of the first frigate of a class is always a historic moment. Spain belongs to a select club of countries capable of building their own frigates, and these are also ships with performance that places them among the best in the world.

The F-110 frigates will have a large hangar with capacity for two helicopters, unlike the F-100s, which can only accommodate one. These frigates will be able to operate Seahawk and NH-90 helicopters, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"The F-110 frigates destined for the Spanish Navy are multipurpose escort vessels, with anti-aircraft, anti-surface and anti-submarine capabilities to carry out their duties, especially in the force protection and naval power projection profiles," Navantia points out.

The Spanish company highlights that the F-110 frigate is "equipped with advanced technology and defense capabilities, representing a significant leap toward the concept of a 21st-century Smart Ship." The ship "incorporates state-of-the-art combat systems, advanced sensors, and electronic warfare capabilities." In addition, the F-110s will carry 3D printers on board "to print some of their spare parts."

Navantia also highlights the F-110's Integrated Services System (SSI): "developed in collaboration with the Universities of Vigo and Coruña, it significantly reduces the volume of the ship's cables through a neural network based on 2,000 light points. It integrates lighting, public address, supervision, cameras, wireless services and sensors into a single system, facilitating interaction with the crew."

The F-110s will be armed with a Leonardo 127/64 LW rapid-fire gun, with a caliber of 127 mm and capable of firing up to 32 rounds per minute. It will be installed in the bow. Behind the cannon will be the MK41 Baseline VII VLS missile launcher, consisting of 16 cells that can launch RIM-66M-2 Standard SM-2MR Block IIIA and RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) surface-to-air missiles, as well as surface-to-surface cruise missiles. In addition, the ship will have 2 quadruple launchers of Naval Strike Missile (NSM) cruise missiles. Among the offensive systems there are also 2 double launchers of 324 mm Raytheon Mark 54 MAKO light torpedoes.

The ship's defensive systems will also include a Sentinel RFG 25 CIWS turret with a 25mm GAU-12/U Equalizer rotary cannon, a weapon specifically designed to shoot down missiles. The stern will have two remotely controlled RWS Sentinel 30 turrets equipped with 30mm Mk44S Bushmaster II cannons, and at different points on the ship there will be four remote RWS Sentinel 2.0 stations with 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns. With this arsenal, the F-110 frigates will be among the best-armed ships that Spain has had in recent decades.

Finally, the F-110s will incorporate the AEGIS system radar antennas in the ship's superstructure, above the bridge, a layout that the F-100 frigates already have and which was a better solution than the one implemented in the American Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which have these antennas under the bridge.

Spain plans to build five frigates of this class: the "Bonifaz" F-111 (scheduled to enter service in 2028), the "Roger de Lauria" F-112 (2029), the "Menéndez de Avilés" F-113 (2030), the "Luis de Córdova" F-114 (2031) and the "Barceló" F-115 (2032). These ships are intended to replace the six frigates of the "Santa María" class, the Spanish version of the American "Oliver Hazard Perry" class: the "Santa María" F-81, the "Victoria" F-82, the "Numancia" F-83, the "Reina Sofía" F-84, the "Navarra" F-85 and the "Canarias" F-86.

---

Images: Navantia.