Álvaro de Bazán class frigate

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Class overview
Almirante Juan de Borbón
Builders:	NAVANTIA-IZAR, Astillero Ferrol
Operators:	Spanish Navy
Subclasses:	Fridtjof Nansen class frigate Hobart class destroyer
In commission:	4
Building:	2
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 24 × Standard SM-2MR Block IIIA 48 × 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

The Álvaro de Bazán class (also known as the 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.

Recently Spanish navy signed a 72 million USD contract to buy and install 24 Tomahawk missiles. The missiles will be installed in the F-100 frigates. During the first 5 years this technology could not be used by the Spanish navy without the permission of US authorities.