Navantia plans to launch the F-112 Roger de Lauria frigate on October 27 at its Ferrol shipyard. The operation is ahead of the original schedule, which had placed the milestone in early 2027.
The F-112 will be the second of five F-110-class frigates the company is building for the Spanish Navy. Its launch will come 13 months after that of the F-111 Bonifaz, which took place in September 2025. Navantia had already indicated during the summer that the date could be brought forward as work progressed.
The vessel is on slipway 3 and completed its main structure this summer with the assembly of the bow block. The shipyard is now carrying out the preparatory work required for the launch.
Progress on the other frigates
Construction of the F-113 Menéndez de Avilés continues in the workshops. Its keel was laid in July, seven months ahead of the contractual date, and block assembly began on slipway 2. This vessel marked the start of operations at the new Digital Block Factory at the Ferrol facilities, along with the use of a robotic welding cell developed by the shipyard’s Robotics Innovation Center.
The F-111 Bonifaz remains afloat at Pier 10, where its main systems are being installed and commissioned ahead of sea trials. Recent work includes the startup of the Integrated Platform Management System and installation of Lockheed Martin’s SPY-7 radar.
The SPY-7 is an AESA radar based on gallium nitride technology and designed to detect and track multiple threats simultaneously at long range. Following its installation, it will enter an activation and testing phase that will extend through much of next year, with support from Lockheed Martin technicians.
The F-114 Luis de Córdova, meanwhile, is progressing through the preliminary stages of construction alongside the launch of the Digital Block Factory.
A five-vessel program
The F-110 program comprises five multirole frigates intended to progressively replace the F-80 Santa María-class vessels, which have been in service since the 1980s. The new ships are designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare and will incorporate air-defense, anti-surface warfare, and multidomain operations capabilities.
The frigates will also feature a digital twin, a virtual replica of the vessel that will receive real-time data from thousands of sensors to support maintenance, sustainment, and operations throughout their service life.
The project execution order was signed in 2019, and total investment exceeds €4.3 billion. The program involves hundreds of Spanish companies linked to the defense and shipbuilding industries.
