Alvaro de Bazan F-100 Frigate
Contractors
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.
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.
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).
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