Spanish Navy’s first F110-class frigate launched by Navantia

The first of the Spanish Navy’s F110 class of frigates, Bonifaz (F-111), was launched at Navantia’s Ferrol Shipyard on 11 September 2025.

With the launch of Bonifaz ushering in a new generation of frigates for the Spanish Navy, the launch ceremony was attended by numerous VIPs, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spanish Chief of the Defence Staff (JEMAD) Admiral Teodoro López Calderón and Navantia President Ricardo Domínguez. The ship was sponsored by Her Majesty Queen Sofía.

From this point forward construction work on Bonifaz will continue at the shipyard’s dock, with the ship scheduled for delivery in 2028.

There are to be five frigates in the F110 class, three of which are currently under construction at Ferrol, with four blocks of ship F112 already on the slipway following its keel-laying milestone in April 2025. The remaining blocks of the F112 and nine blocks of ship F113 are being built in the workshops.

Approved in 2019, with construction of Bonifaz started in April 2022, the F110 class are multi-purpose frigates that will feature anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine capabilities and are designed to operate jointly with other units and support maritime security missions alongside civil authorities. The F110 design is 145 m long, with a beam of 18 m and a draft of 5 m, while the ship’s displacement is 6,100 tonnes.

The frigates will be equipped with the SCOMBA combat management system (CMS) developed by Navantia’s Systems division, which acts as the ship’s ‘brain’ and is capable of processing sensor, radar and weapon data in real time.

Also among the F110 class’s innovations is an integrated mast, located on the superstructure, which optimises electromagnetic spectrum use and reduces radar signature. The ship’s solid-state S-band radar is integrated with an Aegis Weapon System and the SCOMBA CMS.

The main armament of the F110 class is a Lockheed Martin 16-cell MK 41 Baseline VII Vertical Launching System that can fire both RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 and RIM-66 Standard SM-2MR air defence missiles. The frigates will also be armed with RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, a Leonardo 127/64 LW Vulcano 5-inch (127 mm) naval gun and two Mk-32 Mod torpedo tubes.

Navantia stated on its website that with Bonifaz it will “deliver one of the most digital and automated ships to the navy, equipped with a digital twin and a sensor network (Integrated Services System) that enables data-driven decision-making”. It added that the F110-class ships “are safer, can operate with reduced crews, and are capable of integrating unmanned vehicles”.

Sánchez stated at the launch ceremony, “This event not only marks a new chapter in our navy’s history, but is also a hugely important day for Navantia and the Spanish naval industry. Above all, it is a historic day for Ferrol and for all of Galicia. This 11th of September opens a new era of hope for Ferrol, with reindustrialisation leading the way.”

Admiral Antonio Piñeiro, Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy, added, “The frigate Bonifaz is not merely a new vessel; it embodies Spain’s commitment to innovation and technological sovereignty. This ship will provide a decisive strategic and deterrent advantage, and in line with our Armada 2050 vision, it reflects our firm intent to anticipate future challenges.”