Navantia has started the construction process of the new F-110 class frigate for Spanish Navy, with the cutting of the first steel plate in an event presided by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The programme, whose implementation order was signed in 2019, foresees the construction of five frigates, valued at 4,320 million euros. The F-111 will be commissioned in 2027 and deliveries will take place yearly.
F-110 frigates are set to replace the Spanish Navy’s Santa Maria-class frigates which have been in service for over 30 years. F-110 frigates will be fitted with the Aegis combat system integrating a new solid-state S-band radar by Indra. Lockheed Martin and Indra have been collaborating since 2009 to develop a state-of-the-art S-band solid state radar for Spain’s F-110 Frigate Program.
navalnews.com
The F-110 frigates for the Spanish Navy are multi-purpose escort ships, with anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and anti-submarine capabilities to perform their force protection and naval power projection duties. They will operate in combination with other units, and they are versatile platforms that can also perform functions related to maritime security and support to civilian authorities.
The F-110 frigate will be a smart ship, the first Spanish naval programme designed to have a Digital Twin: a virtual replica of the ship that constantly receives information from the vessel, data permanently supplied by a network of sensors distributed throughout the ship, constituting a cyber-physical system that through the use of behavioral models and technologies such as Cloud Computing, Machine Learning and the Internet of Things (IoT) allows to support its maintenance and operation even thousands of miles away through the Digital Twin deployed ashore.
F-110 frigates will measure 145 meters in length and displace 6,100 tons. They will be equipped with a 5-inch main gun, Harpoon missiles, torpedo launchers, two 30mm guns and a 16-cell vertical launch system (VLS).
