The five frigates of the ‘Álvaro de Bazán’ class operate simultaneously in different deployments, because of their suitability to interoperate with allied navies, the solid logistical support that supports them and the validity of their capabilities as escorts.
The Navy is facing an unusual operational milestone: its complete series of F-100 frigates ‘Álvaro de Bazán’, escort ships of more than 6,000 tons, is sailing and carrying out operational activities simultaneously in different national and international scenarios, participating in integrated operations with NATO and in allied navies’ air and naval combat groups.
Keeping the five units deployed at the same time is an important challenge of planning, maintenance and logistical support, both for the Navy and for the Ferrol Arsenal, responsible for a large part of the maintenance of the class. This is a continuous effort that requires a high level of coordination between crews, ground support structures and the industrial chain, and that allows the operation of a series with more than twenty years of service in highly demanding scenarios to be sustained.
This operational context coincides with the promotion of the Mid-Life Modernization Program (MMV) of the F-100 frigates, whose contract was signed in December 2025, with an investment of 3,200 million euros and a time horizon until 2036. The programme includes actions on the platform and in the combat systems, aimed at mitigating obsolescence and adapting the ships to the operational scenarios of the future, including the modernisation of the AEGIS combat system
Designed and built in Ferrol, the F-100 were pioneers in Europe in the incorporation of this AEGIS system. Two decades after their entry into service, they continue to be among the most capable air defence escorts on the continent, as evidenced by their recurrent participation in exercises with real launch of missiles such as ‘Formidable Shield’, their regular integration into NATO’s Standing Naval Groups and their presence in some of the most strategically important maritime scenarios.
Currently, frigates carry out tasks of special relevance together with allies and strategic partners. The ‘Álvaro de Bazán’ (F-101) is integrated into the French Aeronaval Combat Group of the aircraft carrier ‘Charles de Gaulle’, participating in the high-intensity multi-domain exercise ‘Orion 26’. The ‘Almirante Juan de Borbón’ (F-102) serves as command ship of NATO’s Standing Naval Group 1 (SNMG-1), while the ‘Blas de Lezo’ (F-103) participates in the United States in the demanding COMPTUEX certification exercise of the US Navy.
For its part, the ‘Méndez Núñez’ (F-104) acts as a naval platform in the ‘Eagle Eye’ joint activation, integrated into the national Air Defense System, and the ‘Cristóbal Colón’ (F-105) participates in the NATO exercise ‘Steadfast Dart 26’ in the Baltic Sea. A set of missions that reflects the ability of the F-100s to be significantly integrated into multinational structures and operate interoperably with navies such as the French, the United States and other allies, as well as the Army and the Air and Space Force.
This level of activity is possible thanks to the sustained effort of its crews, the continuous logistical support and maintenance work carried out from the ground and the close coordination between the Navy, the DGAM and Navantia to guarantee their availability.
The current situation, with the five F-100s sailing simultaneously, is the best reflection of the reliability of these units and the human, logistical and industrial system that supports them, while anticipating the Navy’s commitment to maintaining them as reference escorts for decades to come.