Alvaro de Bazan F-100 Frigate
FRIGATE F-100
The surface ships are the most characteristic element composing the Naval Force, and they are also the basic means with which to assure and to exert control of the sea. For these reasons, between all the programs the Navy emphasizes, that of the Frigate F-100, has been directed to the construction of four of these units, to be delivered to the Navy between the years 2002 and 2005. These ships belong to a new generation of ships developed under a multinational program. They will be equipped with a system that will guarantee the capacity of the Naval Force to operate against future aerial threats, as could be the case in the waters of the Mediterranean, where maneuvering space is limited and the earth proximity is a definitive factor.
Four units of the F-100 frigate have been ordered for the Navy for construction. They are to go into service between the years 2002 and 2007, and are based on the Aegis antiaircraft system. These ships will have one of the better equipment/displacement relation than are to exist in the future.
The new Spanish frigates are named Alvaro of Bazan (F-101), Roger de Lauria (F-102), Blas de Lezo (F-103) and Méndez Núnez (F-104), having put the keel of the first on 14 of June of 1999.
The F-100 programs had their origin in the need for the Navy to count on a suitable number of escort ships in the year 2000. To accomplish this, Spain participated, starting in 1983, in the future NFR-90 frigate project, in which eight NATO nations tried to codevelop a common ship. This program was cancelled in 1989, given the disparity of national requirements.
After this cancellation, the program F-100 was created to take care of the Navy's need, taking advantage of the experience accumulated in the NFR-90 project -- in which the Spanish industry had an outstanding paper -- and giving continuity to the advances that had taken place with the development and construction of the second series of frigates FFG (Navarrese and Canary).
The goal was to develop a technologically advanced ship and with a high degree of national input, that assured the Navy a high degree of independence in the definition, control and modification of the weapon system throughout its operational life. The program had, consequently, to contribute to the definitive evolution of the national industrial base, in particular in fields such as naval systems, and thereby increase its international competitiveness.
In 1990, the Navy, with the collaboration of the National Company Bazán, initiated the Phase of Prevision and determined the operative requirements which would underline the construction of four frigates of between 3,500 and 4,000 tons, and with eminently antiaircraft characteristics. In 1992, a Viability Study by the companies ISDEFE, Bazán and INISEL.
In this study, three alternatives for the platform were considered, four for the general disposition of the ship, ten for the battle system and twelve for the propulsion. It concluded that it was possible to meet the Navy's requirements with a 4,500 tons ship.
This study demonstrated the great interest of the Spanish industry in participating in the program and their ability to reach and confront the issues of defining, designing, developing and constructing the ship's platform. Also stated was its ability to manage and to develop certain areas of the battle system, although as far as some specific aspects were concerned, it would have to be complemented with foreign technology.
The rumored continuation of the F-100 program (whose completion was planned for 2006) was confirmed in May 2005 with the order of a new ship of the series without name still assigned. Although details have not occurred on the calendar of construction of the new unit, is possible that their keel is put next year with a delivery for 2008 or 2009. Although it was not known if differences with respect to the first series, the impulse that the program had oriented to possible contracts in other countries supposed the inclusion of some different elements, that they could also take advantage of the present experience the user with the ships of the series at the moment in good condition.
With this last unit the generational replacement completes itself who supposes the retirement of the surviving BALEARIC frigates class and will leave to the Navy in the horizon of the 2010 with a total of 11 main ships of escort (six F-80 modernized and five F-100), although does not discard the possibility of adding in the future one sixth unit of the F-100 class to have itself the necessary bottoms.
Cooperation
To reduce technological risks and costs and to correct deficiencies, the possibility of cooperation with other nations was studied, as much in the battle system as in the acquisition of other equipment. This resulted in talks with the German and Dutch Navies which were working on similar national programs for new frigates (German F-124 and Dutch LCF).
The State Secretaries for Defense of the three nations signed an Agreement for the collaboration in the Phase of Definition of the ships at the end of 1993. Previously, in the industrial area, Bazán had reached an agreement with with the shipyards Royal Schelde of Holland and Blohm und Voss of Germany on collaboration in the project and construction of the respective platforms. Indra, on the other hand, reached an agreementwith the Dutch Signaal on collaboration for the battle system, based on the APAR radar (Active Phased Array Radar), being developed by Germany, Holland and Canada.
The Phase of Definition, also ordered in November of 1993, was developed between December of that year and July of 1995. The trinational collaboration worked suitably during that same period, as much at the industrial level as at the governmental one.
However, given the eminently antiaerial character of F-100, during the mentioned Phase, the segment AAW was identified as the most critical of the Program. The Navy considered that the adoption of the APAR, a system still under development, posed a risk in terms of cost and schedule. Equally difficult to accept was the potential risk implied by the modification of the guidance of the SM-2 missiles chosen for the Spanish frigate, to make it compatible with the APAR; this change would demand tests to be carried out to qualify the system and, possibly, the modified missile, resulting in further delay of the Program.
Confronted with these risk factors, it was preferred to consider and antiaircraft system based on the American Aegis, an option already operatioinal and proven in the ships of the U.S. Navy and with a similar cost, in principle, to the considered one for the APAR.
In June of 1995, collaboration with Germany and Holland in that segment was abandonned, thoguh it was continued in the remaining areas of the battle system and the platform. Following this, during the summer of 1996, an Memorandum of Understanding was signed that extended the cooperation between the three European countries to the construction phase of the frigates.
The decision to change the concept of the battle system prolonged the Definition of the Program F-100 for a year, with the purpose of adapting it to the Aegis. That Phase of Transition concluded in 1996 July.
Costs
The Cabinet approved on the 24 of January of 1997 the construction of four F-100 frigates for the Navy, to go into service between the years 2002 and 2007. The order for the construction of these ships was possible as a result of the collaboration of the Ministry of Industry and Energy, within the framework decided with the department of Defense for the financing, by means of reimbursable credits to the companies, of great national programs of armaments development.
The cost of these frigates ascends to 280,000 million pesetas, to be paid in ten annuities. Of these sums, 155,200 correspond to national production and 124,800 million to the foreign acquisition of those equipment and services for whose development absolute national capacity does not exist or whose manufacture in Spain is not profitable due to the limitation of series (for example, the propulsion gas turbines).
Of these imports, 93,612 million will be acquired by means of purchases FMS (Foreign Military Sales) through the American Navy. This system simplifies the reception process and guarantees better adjusted prices, total quality control and incorporation of the latest improvements to the systems for Spain, these being included in a long series of considered purchases and being considered as if they were acquisitions of the U.S. Navy.
For the foreign purchases, compensations valued in 101.088 million pesetas have been negotiated (81 percents on the 124,800 million imports); the result of twenty-nine Agreements of Industrial Cooperation with foreign providers. Thus, the Program will result in, for Spain as a whole, in an anticipated industrial return (national manufacture more compensations) of 256,288 million pesetas, equivalent to 91.5 percent of the total investment.
Industrial scheme
Altogether, the F-100 is articulated around a platform almost completely national, with some imported components, and a battle system configured with some foreign elements, mainly American, which are more advanced and proven, in particular the Aegis antiaircraft system. The General criterion is, however, to maximize the use of Spanish systems that are already developed, as well as of others for whose obtaining the Spanish industry can act as the main contractor.
For the Spanish developments, the ship will include a control system and control (CDS, Combat Direction Sistem), the Meroka 2B anti-missile cannon and the fire control DORNA of the Fábrica de Artillería de Bazán (FABA); the electronic warfare systems Aldebarán and Elnath, as well as the circular antenna OE-120 UPX indentification friend/foe (IFF) of Indra; the thrower of decoys Mk.36 de ENOSA and tactical consoles CONAM of SAINSEL.
In the elements being contracted with a main Spanish contractor appear the 5 Mk.45 inches cannon, whose modernization to version 2 will be carried out by FABA; the Mk.32 torpedo launcher tubes and the TH-55 control system for these weapons, both provided by the same Fábrica de Artillería; the 1160LF sonar (I), made by ENOSA; the demagnetization system, by SAES, and the main electronic panels (EINSA).
Contractor
The main contractor for the development and production of all the ship (platform and battle system ) is the Company Nacional Bazán, which has both foreign and spanish subcontractors.
The most important subcontractor is the U.S. Navy, which provides some elements, like basic second hand Mk.45 cannons, and which is in charge of providing other systems (Aegis, vertical thrower Mk.41, SPS-67 surface radar, LAMPS SQQ/28 processor and giroscopes), originating from six fundamental North American providers. Between these latter, Lockheed Martin (radar SPY-1D), Raytheon (radar transmissions and guiding) and Hughes (consoles) are on the Aegis, whereas United Defense and Lockheed Martin are on the vertical thrower Mk.41. Spanish companies participating in the Program are, among others, the Factoría de Ferrol, theFábricas de Sistemas de Control y Motores de Cartagena and the Fábrica de Artillería de la E. N. Bazán, the GroupIndra (SAINSEL, CESELSA y ENOSA), SAES, NAVALIPS or ENSIDESA and official organization such as INTA or the Canal de Experiencias Hidrodinámicas.
As a whole, the program F-100 responds, given to its high technological content, to outstanding progess for the spanish naval industry and contributes an important service load to multiple sectors, benefitting numerous depressed zones.
In this sense, the negotiated agreements of industrial collaboration with foreign providers have looked to obtaining for Spanish companies of vanguard technologies for the design, production and testing of the ship's equipment, as well as the production and integration in Spain of such components, and the self-sufficiency in the maintenance, adaptation and modification of the elements acquired from foreign sources throughout the service life of the ships. With it it has been obtained, in addition to the maximum nationalization of the F-100, the promotion of access of the national industry to other markets, especially the North American one, with products used in the frigate or derivatives of them. In this sense, it is necessary to emphasize the agreement reached in January of 1999, by Bazán with Lockheed Martin Corporation and Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary shipyard of General Dynamics, to jointly construct the frigates F-100 and derivatives for exports.
The agreements of cooperation contemplate as well support to the system life cycle battle -- including the Aegis --, facilitating the creation in Spain of a Center qith unique characteristics outside of the United States. The spanish industry to have left á totally enabled for the integral support the Aegis (Baz á n, FABA, ENOSA, Indra and Armada) and podr á to develop to the software of integraci or n of arms and sensors espa 6n oles in the same one (FABA). This same company will be able to build an ACSIS (Aegis Combat System Interface Simulator) simulator of a configuration similar to that of the F-100's Aegis.
The agreements facilitate as well the development and production of the new CONAM 2000 consoles for Command and Control (SAINSEL); of the friend or foe identification circular antenna (INDRA DTD); of the high power sources (ENOSA); and of the integrated system of control of platform (Bazán); as well as the production under license the DE-1160 Improved sonar (ENOSA), and the implantation of the mentioned Center of Support to the System, with financial contribution from Lockheed Martin.
The agreements suppose in all the cases a percentage of compensations of between the 70 and 100 percent, with automatic application to later purchases made during the system's life-cycle. To the direct benefits that the agreements of cooperation create for the spanish companies during the development and construction of the F-100 to have to added the maintenance activity during the thirty years service life of the ship, which amount to 90.000 millions of pesetas.
The F-100 is an eminently flexible frigate, with special antiaerial/antimissile capability, and a potential for future growth.
The new Spanish frigate is a medium-size escort ship, able to operate as much in coastal waters as on the high seas. It has optimized services of platform adapted to the necessities of the Group battle. Its has a great survival capability, protection against fragmentation, damage-control system and bacteriological and chemical defenses, as well as acoustic and very low magnetic radars.
It has been configured to be a frigate of moderate displacement that includes a very advanced battle system, with four main functionally segments:
- Antiaircraft: Its main element will be the Aegis system, ordered of the exploration, detection, classification and pursuit of targets, as well as of the firing and guidance of the antiaircraft arms and the control of own interceptors.
The nucleus of the system constitutes three-dimensional radar long-range AN/SPY-1D, with four flat antennas located in the superstructure of the ship. This configuration assures a location and much more fast pursuit targets and needs that the radars rotatable antenna, increasing the speed of reaction.
The Aegis system will associate two radars Mk.99 illuminators for the guidance of the missiles, releasing of such function to the SPY-1D. As arms incorporate a vertical thrower Mk.41, with 48 wells for short Standard reach and short-range missiles Evolved Seasparrow average SM-2MR of and average reach, and a tube of area defense Meroka 2b associated to a radar of detection RAN30L/X. - Antisubmarine: The main sensors and arms will be a sonar of helmet DE-1160LF; the sonobuoys of the helicopter LAMPS III SH-60B embarked, and Mk.46 torpedoes model, launchable from the airship or 5 the Mk.32 tubes model 9 of the ship, that will be able in addition to control own airplanes of antisubmarine patrol.
- Antisurface: It will have eight, as well as rocket launchers superficie/superficie Harpoon Mk.45 tube of 5 inches (127/54 mm), integrated with a fire control DORNA. This assembly main artilleryman has been selected by the Navy, in front of the initial option of a piece of 76 mm, to equip to the Fleet of a greater power of fire of support against coast.
- Electronic warfare:It will incorporate the equipment Mk.9000 Elnath, for detection and interference of communications, and Aldebarán, to interfere with radar transmissions, including those of homing heads of missiles. Also it will use throwers of Mk.36 decoys model 2.
The main missions of F-100 will be: the crisis management, to join in allied fleets protecting expeditionary forces; its use as a standard ship in a national or allied Combat Group; and anti-submarine, antisurface and long-range antiaircraft defense, as well as the anti-missile protection of valuable own units.
AFCON Consortium
Signed in Washington on 26 January 1999, the AFCON Consortium (Advanced Frigate Consortium) brings together Navantia, Lockheed Martin Corporation and the North American shipyard, Bath Iron Works. The aim of this alliance is to go jointly to the international market with new frigates and escort ships, which -as in the case of the Spanish F-100- incorporate the AEGIS anti-aircraft combat system.
