Navantia lays keel of first Spanish F-110-class frigate

An artist's rendering of the F-110 design. In terms of role and capability, the ship is intended to fit between the 2,500 tonne, 94 m BAM offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and the 5,800 tonne, 147 m F-100 frigates. (Navantia)

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia held a keel-laying ceremony for the first F-110-class frigate for the Spanish Navy in Ferrol, Spain, on 9 August.

Almirante Bonifaz (F 111) is the first of five new frigates on order for the navy. A EUR4.325 billion (USD4.746 billion) contract for the five ships was signed in April 2019, and construction of the ships began in April 2022. The programme is intended to feature substantial indigenous participation, with Navantia reporting that approximately 500 Spanish companies will be involved.

Under current planning, the first F-110 is expected to be launched in 2025 and handed over to the navy in 2028. The F-110-class frigates are then intended to be delivered at a rate of one per year until 2032. In a press release accompanying the keel-laying ceremony, Navantia reported that the programme is ahead of schedule, with 18 of the 33 blocks of the F 111 under construction. Navantia also reported that it has activated an acceleration plan for the construction programme. Construction of the second F-110, Roger de Lauria (F 112), is scheduled to commence later in 2023.