Spain celebrated a historic milestone on September 11 with the launch of the F-111 Bonifaz, the first frigate of the country’s new F-110 class, at the Ferrol Shipyard in Galicia.

The ceremony was sponsored by Her Majesty Queen Sofía and attended by top political and military leaders, including the Prime Minister of Spain, the President of the Xunta of Galicia Alfonso Rueda, the Government Delegate in Galicia Pedro Blanco, and the Mayor of Ferrol José Manuel Rey.

Military officials, including Admiral Teodoro López Calderón, Chief of the Defence Staff (JEMAD), and Navantia’s president Ricardo Domínguez, were also present.

The F-111 Bonifaz represents a new generation of Spanish frigates, combining advanced anti-submarine and anti-air warfare capabilities. Its distinctive tall mast carries a sophisticated radar system, highlighting its technological advancement.

The class follows the successful F100 design, which had previously been pitched internationally, including to the U.S. Navy’s FFG(X) program that later became the Constellation class.

The frigate, built by Navantia Sistemas, is already over 70% complete, with outfitting work continuing ahead of its scheduled delivery to the Spanish Navy in 2028. The 6,000-ton vessel is highly automated and designed for future capability upgrades.

The Bonifaz is the first of five frigates on order for the Spanish Navy, intended to replace six older F80 Santa María class frigates, originally based on the U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry design from the 1980s.

Three of the new F110 class ships are currently under construction at Ferrol. The hull blocks for F-112 are already on the slipway following its keel-laying in April 2025, while the remaining blocks of F-112 and all nine blocks of F-113 are being built in the workshops.

Reference: Navantia

Source: www.marineinsight.com