Spanish frigate Álvaro de Bazán

Álvaro de Bazán is the lead ship of the Álvaro de Bazán class of air defence frigates entering service with the Spanish Navy. She is named after Admiral Álvaro de Bazán.

Álvaro de Bazán underway in December 2005
History
Spain
Name	Álvaro de Bazán
Namesake	Álvaro de Bazán
Builder	NAVANTIA-IZAR, Astillero Ferrol
Cost	600 million €
Identification	pennant number: F101
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate
Displacement	5.800 tons full load
Length	146.7 m (481.3 ft)
Beam	18.6 m (61.0 ft)
Draft	8.0 m (26.2 ft)
Propulsion	CODAG 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 2 × Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines
Speed	28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph)
Range	4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi)
Complement	250 (48 officers)
Sensors & 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 Aegis combat system
Electronic warfare & 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 32 × Standard SM-2MR Block IIIA 64 × 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

Operational history

Álvaro de Bazán sails alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during Álvaro de Bazán's departure from Carrier Strike Group Two

In late 2005, Álvaro de Bazán was deployed as part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier battle group in the Persian Gulf. This was the first deployment of a Spanish warship as part of an American naval battle group.

In early March 2007, Álvaro de Bazán became the first Spanish warship to visit Australia in 150 years. The deployment included several port visits, and was performed to support Navantia's bid to design the Hobart-class destroyer for the Royal Australian Navy. The ship was also visiting Australia as part of the first circumnavigation of the globe by a Spanish warship in 142 years.^[1]