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SHIP SHAPE:
The Spanish Navy’s F100 Class ship, Alvaro de Bazan, berths
at Garden Island on the final leg of its Australian tour. The
Spanish warship is one of the options being developed by the
Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program for the Navy.
Photo: LSPH Nina Nikolin |
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SPANISH
GOLD
BIG GUNS INSPECT AWD PROSPECT |
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DOWN UNDER: Sailors
on Spanish Ship F100 Alvaro de Bazan arriving at Fleet Base
East, Sydney.
Photo: LSPH Nina Nikolin |
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The Alvaro de Bazan, a Spanish Navy F-100 multi-purpose frigate equipped
with the state-of-the-art Aegis combat system, berthed at three Australian
ports including Sydney’s Fleet Base East as part of a goodwill visit
Down Under recently.
The 5,800 tonne F-100 Class frigate is one of two platform designs competing
for the RAN’s six billion dollar Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) project.
The Alvaro de Bazan was built by the Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia
and could provide an early glimpse of Australia’s future fleet of
Hobart-class AWDs.
The ship’s CO, CMDR Cristobel Gonzalez-Aller said the Alvaro de Bazan
was commissioned in 2002 and is the first European ship built with the
Aegis combat system.
“The ship incorporates the AN/SPY-1D Aegis Combat System from Lockheed
Martin Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems,” he said.
“The main missions of the ship are fleet protection, anti-air warfare,
operation as a flag ship for a combat group, anti-surface and anti-submarine
warfare.”
CMDR Gonzalez-Aller said the Spanish Navy had so far built four such F-100
multi-purpose frigates.
Defence Minister Dr Brendan Nelson and CN VADM Russ Shalders, AO, CSC,
RAN were among the scores of Defence officials and ADF Officers who inspected
the 146.7 metre long warship at FBE from March 13-19.
The other contender for the RAN AWD Project is an evolved design of the
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke built by the US-based firm Gibbs & Cox,
which is similar to the USN Pinckney, which visited HMAS Kuttabul (CMDR
Mark Todd) in January 2006.
Dr Nelson said no matter which option was selected by Government, the
ADF would be equipped with one of the world’s most capable air warfare
destroyers to defend Australia and its national interests.
“The AWDs will meet Australia’s strategic requirements and be
highly capable across the full spectrum of maritime operations; from peacetime
national tasking that might include protection of our environment and
natural resources, through to responses to terrorism and threats to our
national security.”
Dr Nelson said the AWD Alliance was currently developing business cases
for the Existing and Evolved Designs which would be presented to Government
for consideration in mid 2007.
VADM Shalders said the AWDs would enable the RAN to make a quantum leap
in capability. Aegis was the most capable air defence and surface launched
missile system any navy had ever put to sea, as it could engage more than
100 air, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously. “The three
AWDs, to be named HMA Ships Hobart, Sydney and Brisbane, will significantly
improve the firepower of the fleet,” he said.
The Spanish ship hosted numerous inspection tours during its stay at FBE,
before departing on March 19. She is scheduled to arrive in Spain around
May 20, after 118 days and a journey of 25,500 n miles.
This will mark the first time in 142 years that a Spanish warship has
sailed around the globe, the last time being the frigate Numancia in 1865.
| In a nutshell |
- Class F-100
- Length overall 146.7m
- Breadth on waterline 17.50m
- Full load displacement 5,800t
- Maximun speed 28.50kn
- Range at 18 knots 4,500nm
- Crew 229+21 |
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