ARMADA ESPAÑOLA

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The frigate was launched on October 27th 2000 in NAVANTIA Shipyards in Ferrol. Her Sponsor was Casilda Silva Fernández de la Henestrona, Marchioness of Santa Cruz, a descendant of Admiral Álvaro de Bazán.  The ship was commissioned into active service on September 19th 2002 under the presidency of Prime Minister José Mª Aznar.

The frigate received her Battle Ensign from Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias on September 19th 2006 in Motril (Granada).

She is the fourth vessel in the Spanish Navy with that name: the first one was a three mast steamer (1841-1873); the second a similar one (1873-1885) and the third one was a gunner (1904-1926).

The name “Álvaro de Bazán” comes from the 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz who fought in different battles in Lepanto, Gibraltar, Malta, Lisbon and the Azores.

Álvaro de Bazán was born in Granada in 1526 in a noble family. He served two kings: Charles I and Philip II. He decidedly contributed to the expansion of the Spanish Empire with his victories over the Turks and pirates in the Mediterranean, and over French and British squadrons in the Atlantic Ocean.

Undoubtedly, his most important victory was Lepanto in 1571 against the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. His charisma, expertise and bravery are second to none in the Spanish Navy. He was awarded the title of “Capitán de la Mar Océana” and a nobility title. He died in Lisbon, then a Spanish city, in 1588.

The ship’s motto and coat of arms: “Rey Servido y Patria Honrada” (Served king and Honoured Homeland)

The crew consists of 201 people but there is accommodation space for 236, so the crew adapts depending on the missions entrusted. Thus, the ship can embark other personnel like a Staff when operating as a Command Ship, flight crews to operate and maintain the SH-60B aircraft, Marine Corps detachment for security purposes, medical doctors and air traffic controllers.

The “Álvaro de Bazán” is a modern ship. Although accommodation in a warship is limited and austere, habitability is comfortable and cosy.

The ship spends around 100 days per year out of base, most of them in foreign ports and waters, collaborating with ships from all over the world.

Next, are the most important activities in which the ship has participated:

• First verification of her Combat System (CSSQT) in July 2003 in Norfolk (Virginia), launching SM-2 anti-air missiles.
• Visit of King Juan Carlos I on May 13th 2004.
• First Cooperative Deployment between the Spanish Navy and the U.S. Navy, integrated into the Carrier Strike Group 2 in two stages: The first, training with U.S. Navy units in Norfolk (April – July 2005), and the second, her deployment with the “USS Theodore Roosevelt” aircraft-carrier (Sept – Dec. 2005).
• NATO exercise “Tiger Meeting” on September 25th 2006, consisting of a massive attack by fighters against the ship. Her anti-air defence capabilities were most satisfactory in this “saturation situation”.
• Endurance cruise from January 23rd to May 19th 2007 around the globe. Her main mission was to support the State foreign policy and enhance the image of our national industry. It is worth mentioning the activities carried out in Australia; there, NAVANTIA was awarded the contract for the shipbuilding of the new Australian Navy frigates.
• Visit of the Prince of Asturias on October 23rd 2007 during her Operational Qualification.
• Flagship of the Standing NATO Maritime Group One(SNMG-1) from January 22nd to March 21st 2008.
• Combat System upgrading in 2009 to include EVOLVED SEA SPARROW missile capability. Verification of combat system, upgrading and enhancement were carried out in February 2010 in San Diego (California) with the launching of SM-2 and SEA SPARROW missiles.
• Maritime Security operation “Active Endeavour” in the Mediterranean in May 2010.
• Exercise “Noble Mariner” from February 28th to March 10th 2011 and NATO’s exercise “Response Force” simulating a crisis scenario and the deployment of a NATO force to upkeep security, stability and freedom of navigation.
• Operation “Unified Protector” in September 2011 in Libyan waters under NATO command to participate in the UN embargo operations.
• Operation “Active Endeavour“ from March 17th to April 7th 2012 integrated into the SNMG-1 with other warships from the Netherlands, Canada and Germany.
• Flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2) from October 2013 to March 2014 participating in the anti-terrorist operation “Active Endeavour“ (OAE) in the Mediterranean Sea and the counter-piracy operation “Ocean Shield“ (OOS) in the Indian Ocean.
• Flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG-1) from December 2015 to June 2016 in the Baltic Sea.

In the last quarter of 2016, the F-101 will integrate into the Defense and Air Operations Command as part of the operational structure of the Armed Forces tasked with surveillance and air presence in different areas of the Cantabrian Sea. The frigate will also participate in exercise SMARTEX-162 with the US Navy destroyer “USS Carney“ (DDG-64), intended to enhance the integration between the US “Arleigh Burke“-class destroyers stationed in Rota Naval Base and the Spanish Navy “Álvaro de Bazán”-class frigates.