Spanish frigate Blas de Lezo (F103)
 Blas de Lezo | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Spain | |
| Name: | Blas de Lezo |
| Namesake: | Blas de Lezo |
| Ordered: | 31 January 1997 |
| Builder: | Izar |
| Cost: | 600 million € |
| Launched: | 16 May 2003 |
| Commissioned: | 16 December 2004 |
| Homeport: | Ferrol |
| Identification: |
|
| Status: | in active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Guided missile frigate |
| Displacement: | 5,800-6,391 tonnes[1] |
| Length: | 146.7 m (481 ft)[2] |
| Beam: | 18.6 m (61 ft) |
| Draft: | 4.75 m (15.6 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph)[2] |
| Range: | 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[2] |
| Complement: | 250 (48 officers)[2] |
| Sensors and processing systems: | |
| Electronic warfare & decoys: | |
| Armament: |
|
| Aircraft carried: | 1 × Sikorsky SH-60B LAMPS III Seahawk |
Blas de Lezo (F-103) is the third ship of the new F-100 class of air defense frigates entering the service with the Spanish Navy in 2004. She is named after the 18th century Spanish admiral Blas de Lezo.
Operational history
The frigate Blas de Lezo was launched on May 16, 2003, the same day that the frigate Méndez Núñez was put on the ground.[3] The "Blas de Lezo" conducted its sea tests between 7 and 11 September 2004. It was delivered to the Navy on December 16, 2004, and conducted missile launching tests (CSSQT) in the United States with the American destroyers USS Howard and USS Halsey[4] in September 2005.
In 2007, Blas de Lezo joined the combat group of the French nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle for two months. She subsequently had an accident on 25 September 2007 during the NATO Neptune Warrior exercises in Scotland, fortunately, no personal injury occurred. An emergency repair was carried out at the Navantia-Ferrol facility, which was then completed at the same facility in Fene. Subsequently, in Denmark, it took over the command of the Permanent Naval Grouping No. 1 of NATO6 (SNMG-1), in which he replaced Alvaro de Bazán. Since April 2009, together with other vessels of the NATO Permanent Naval Ensemble number 1, she participates in NATO's Allied Protector operation to combat piracy in the waters of the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa. During the course of this, he boarded on June 4 two vessels suspected of piracy after receiving a warning of attack by the Liberian merchant United Lady.
On April 9, 2012, she sailed from the base of Ferrol towards the east coast of the United States, to integrate in the Task Force 8 of the United States Navy, integrated by the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Ticonderoga class cruiser and three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with whom he trained, after which he became part of an international grouping aimed at combating drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea.[5] He returned to his base in Ferrol on May 31, 2012.
On June 11, 2013, she sailed from the Naval Station of Rota to take command of the NATO permanent group number 2 (SNMG-2) based in Aksaz, Turkey, where she arrived on 15 June. In the course of this deployment, she participated in the Ocean Shield operations, an anti-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean, and Active Endeavor in the fight against terrorism in the Mediterranean. Likewise, it was shown on 26 July in Istanbul to The General Directorate of Armaments and Materials of Turkey and the Navy of that country to support Navantia's options in securing a contract for the manufacture of several frigates for Turkey. In early August, she returned to its base for maintenance of equipment and rest of their endowment. On August 29, she departed again from its base for the port of Malaga to start the second phase of this deployment, which includes the participation on the international exercise Brilliant Mariner 2013. On 13 October she was relieved in Barcelona by Álvaro de Bazán.
On July 11, 2014, a strange event happened, when the Cristóbal Colón frigate came from the operation Atalanta and that the other four ships of the class were in its base in Ferrol, so that for the first time, the five frigates of their class will conduct joint training exercises as part of the 31st Escorted Squadron of which they are part.
On June 28, 2015, she received her combat flag in Guecho, offered by the Royal Maritime Club of Abra and the Sports Club and sponsored by Ana of Orleans, Duchess of Calabria.
At the beginning of October 2015, she participated in the exercise of International Joint Ventures in Scottish waters. At the end of October 2015 she participated in the multinational exercises Trident Juncture 2015, which took place in Spain, Italy and Portugal.
References
- ↑ "La fragata F-105 «Cristóbal Colón» pasa a disposición de la Armada Española". abc.es. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
- 1 2 3 4 "Fragatas Clase 'Álvaro de Bazán' (F-100) - Fragatas clase 'Álvaro de Bazán' - Buques - Armada Española - Ministerio de Defensa - Gobierno de España". armada.mde.es. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
- ↑ Botadura de la fragata F-103 Blas de Lezo(Spanish)
- ↑ La fragata ‘Blas de Lezo’ parte de Ferrol para realizar unas maniobras con el portaaviones estadounidense ‘Dwight D. Eisenhower’(Spanish)