Spanish shipbuilder Navantia floated out the future Bonifaz, the first F110-class frigate ordered by the Spanish Navy, at its facilities in Ferrol on Thursday, September 11.
Upon completion, the frigate will measure 145 by 18 metres and will displace approximately 6,100 tonnes. Armament will include those for anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare.
The future Bonifaz and her four sisters are scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2029. They will replace the Spanish Navy's ageing Santa Maria-class ships that were commissioned between 1986 and 1995.
The new frigates' missions will also include escort and force projection.
Navantia said the launch of the future Bonifaz took place one month ahead of schedule and that the ship is approximately 70 per cent complete.
The frigate is scheduled to be commissioned before the end of this year. The remaining four ships are meanwhile slated to be formally welcomed to the fleet at a rate of one per year up to 2029.
