Navantia has laid the keel of the third F110 Bonifaz-class heavy frigate for the Spanish Navy, reaching the construction milestone seven months ahead of schedule.
The ceremony for the SPS Menéndez de Avilés (F113) took place at the company’s Astillero de Ferrol shipyard and was attended by Spanish defense and naval officials.
Madrid’s Director General for Armament and Material Adm. Aniceto Rosique, Spanish Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Antonio Piñeiro, and Navantia Chairman Ricardo Domínguez participated in the event.
Nearing Deliveries
The early milestone advances the F110 program into its next construction phase, with block assembly on the F113 continuing ahead of the vessel’s launch.
Navantia attributed the accelerated progress to close cooperation with Spain’s Ministry of Defence.
Currently, the shipyard is building four F110 frigates simultaneously at different stages, with the lead ship of the series, the SPS Bonifaz (F111), now afloat and undergoing installation and testing of major systems before sea trials, including its specialized management system and active electronically scanned array radar.
Navantia expects to deliver the platform in 2028.
The second ship, SPS Roger de Lauria (F112), has also completed its primary hull structure and is being prepared for launch later this year.
Meanwhile, construction of the fourth hull SPS Luis de Córdova (F114) is underway alongside the commissioning of Navantia’s new Digital Block Factory, which the company said will modernize military ship production.
Once commissioned, the F110 fleet will replace the Spanish Navy’s aging Álvaro de Bazán and Santa Maria-class frigates.
The multipurpose vessels are designed for multidomain missions, while also supporting operations against hybrid and emerging threats.
The Bonifaz Warship
The Spanish Navy’s F110 Bonifaz frigate spans 145 meters (476 feet) in length and has a beam of 18 meters (59 feet).
It will receive a turbine, four diesel engines, and controllable pitch propellers for speeds of more than 25 knots (46 kilometers/29 miles per hour).
The vessel can transport up to 150 sailors and receive a rotary-wing aircraft similar in size to an SH-60 Seahawk or NH90 helicopter.
For firepower, the system will be armed with torpedoes, naval guns, support machine guns, and air defense, anti-ship, and land-attack missiles.
