Fragata "Cristóbal Colón" (F-105)

The Commander of frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ welcomes you and invites you to visit this website. This is a multi-purpose escort and one of the most advanced warships in Europe. Thanks to her AEGIS combat system and the SPY-1D(V) radar, the unit has the capability to participate in the following missions or tasks: force projection ashore, management and prevention of crises, defense in asymmetric conflicts, humanitarian aid operations, implementation of UN resolutions and any other challenges given the current strategic scenarios.

RADARS

SONAR

COMMUNICATIONS

WEAPONS

Missiles:

Guns:

Torpedoes:

As a state-of-the-art and multi-purpose naval platform, the F-105 can participate in any of the many tasks assigned to a Naval Force, namely, maritime security, force projection, crisis management, deterrence and defense.

As a most fitted warship for air defense, the ‘Cristóbal Colón’ has participated in many NATO exercises and operations integrated into different Standing NATO Maritime Groups, among them the Group Number 2 as flagship between November 2020 and March 2021.

Our home base is Ferrol (NW Spain). All F-100 units that make up the 31st Surface Squadron are stationed in this naval base.

Displacement: 6.391 tons.

Length: 146,7 m.

Beam: 18,6 m

Draft: 7,4m

Max. Speed: 28.5 knots.

Range: 4.500 miles at 18 knots.

Propulsion:

Frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ is the fifth unit of the modern and multi-purpose F-100 AEGIS-equipped frigates, with which the Spanish Navy contributes to the objectives of National Defense at the dawn of the 21st century.

She is the sixth ship with that name in the history of the Spanish Navy, taken from the discoverer of America: Cristopher Columbus (1451 – 1506). Previous warships with this name were a frigate (1782 – 1808), a corvette (1843 – 1866), a steamer (1849 – 1882), a cruiser (1887 – 1895) and a battleship-cruiser (1896 – 1898).

The frigate was built in Ferrol by Navantia and launched on November 4th 2010 sponsored by the Infanta Margarita, sister of H.M. King Juan Carlos I and her husband Carlos Zurita. Sea trials commenced in March 2012 and the warship was finally delivered fully operational to the Spanish Navy on October 23rd 2012.

A standard crew consists of 192 people but there is further accommodation space for more personnel so the crew adapts her space depending on the missions entrusted. They are all highly qualified professionals, well trained to man and operate this modern frigate. They work on a daily basis to attain a high readiness level in order to contribute to the maritime objectives of Spain.

Her features permit this valuable ship to operate in any theatre at the service of the State not only in conventional operations but in humanitarian and peace-keeping missions.

Since the F-105 entered service, several sea trials and operational assessment drills of systems and equipment have been carried out. In January 2014 an Operational Qualification exercise was conducted to certify the ship.

At international level, the ‘Cristóbal Colón’ has participated in operation ‘Ocean Shield’ (OOS) integrated into the Second Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG-2) as Command ship. This operation was intended to fight piracy in the Indian Ocean and provide maritime security in the area along with European Union Task Forces and other combined maritime forces.

In 2016 the F-105 took part in Operation ‘Sea Guardian’ to enhance maritime security and support all activities oriented to increase maritime situational awareness and to fight international terrorism.

In 2017 the ship participated in a long-term deployment in Australia where the ‘Cristóbal Colón’ took part in a series of exercises with Royal Australian Navy units. During her transit back to Spain, the ship completed a round the world voyage.

Between November 2020 and March 2021 she was the flagship of NATO’s manoeuvers ‘At Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield 2021’ where the ship successfully fired an Evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM) against a supersonic sea-skimming target flying nearly three time the speed of sound.