Spanish frigate Cristóbal Colón

Cristóbal Colón is the fifth and last ship of the Álvaro de Bazán-class of air defence frigates entering service with the Spanish Navy. The ship is named after Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer that claimed the discovery of America in the name of the Crown of Castile. It is the most modern ship of the Spanish Navy.

Cristóbal Colón (F-105)
History
Spain
Name: Cristóbal Colón
Namesake: Christopher Columbus
Ordered: 20 May 2005
Builder: NAVANTIA, Ferrol Shipyard
Cost: € 823 million[1]
Laid down: 29 June 2007
Launched: 4 November 2010
Commissioned: 23 October 2012[2]
Identification: pennant number: F105
Status: in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate
Displacement: 6,391 tons full load[2]
Length: 146.7 metres (481 ft)
Beam: 18.6 metres (61 ft)
Draft: 7.8 metres (26 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed: 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph)
Range: 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi)
Complement: 216
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
  • 4 × FMC SRBOC Mk36 flare launchers
  • SLQ-25A Enhanced Nixie torpedo countermeasures
  • Indra SLQ-380 EW suite
  • CESELSA Elnath Mk 9000 interceptor
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 × SH-60 Seahawk or NH-90

Operational history

Cristóbal Colón frigate was ordered on May 20, 2005 and its building started in Ferrol shipyards on June 29, 2007. The ship was launched on November 4, 2010 and commissioned on October 23, 2012. The frigate was sponsored by the Infanta Margarita of Bourbon.

On February 9, 2013, it sailed from its base in Ferrol, in its first navigation out of the Galician waters to set sail for the naval base of Rota, where it arrived on February 11, starting from that moment a process of inspection, certification and naval training that ended on the February 15. On February 14, a Sikorsky SH-3 made the first point on its flight deck.[3] On February 24, 2014, she sailed from her base in Ferrol to join the Atalanta anti-piracy operation in the Indian waters.[4]

After releasing Álvaro de Bazán in Djibouti, and while she was in the port of this African city, on March 16, 2014, an accidental firing of the 127-mm cannon occurred, whose projectile fell to the sea after flying over a hotel and a mosque; an incident that forced the Spanish diplomatic authorities to apologize.[5]

On June 26 and 27, 2014, the frigate escorted the cruiser USS Vella Gulf against conventional aerial threat in its passage through the Mediterranean, as the US Navy was configuring a combat system to intercept ballistic targets outside the Earth's atmosphere.[6]

On July 11, 2014 she returned to her base in Ferrol and took advantage of her arrival, and the other four ships of the class were at her base in Ferrol, so that for the first time, the five frigates of the class made a joint training exercises as part of the 31st Escorted Squadron of which they are part.[7]

In mid-July 2016, ESPN Cristóbal Colón certified her combat system in Norfolk, US. with the American destroyer USS Arleigh Burke,[8] after which she made a stopover in Halifax, Canada to support Navantia's commercial options in a contest for the construction of fifteen frigates.[9] The ship arrived at her base in Ferrol on August 2, 2016.[10]

On January 9, 2017, F105 sailed from her base in Ferrol to Australia where she plans to stay until June 2017 to train the crews of Hobart class ships based on this vessel, as well as support the options of Navantia in a new competition for the construction of nine frigates. A stopover is planned in Saudi Arabia on 20 and 21 January in support of a possible contract for the sale of five corvettes to that country.[11] On 20 and 21 January 2017, a stopover took place in the Saudi port of Yeda, where the ship received a delegation from the Saudi Navy.[12] On February 20, 2017, Cristóbal Colón frigate arrives in Australia.[13]

On June 24, 2017, the frigate finished its deployment in Australia and began its return to base. It will arrive at its base in August stopping earlier in Papeete, French Polynesia and Callao, Peru.[14] The ship participated in the exercise Unitas 2017 between July 13 and 26.[15]

Differences from the rest of the class

The design of the Cristóbal Colón contemplates several improvements with respect to the original design of the class. It incorporates new Bravo 16V engines that increase its maximum speed and a bow thruster of 850 kW for operations in port. In weaponry and combat systems, two 25mm Mk 38 guns are added for close defense, a new electronic and submarine warfare control system, Aries surface surveillance radar, SPY-1 radar improvements, and improvements in communications and control systems. F105 can also operate with NH 90 helicopters by expanding the hangar and flight deck.

See also

References
  1. Defensa renegocia una deuda de 26.000 millones que no puede pagar
  2. La fragata F-105 Cristóbal Colón pasa a disposición de la Armada Española
  3. Primera toma de un helicóptero en la cubierta de vuelo de la fragata “Cristóbal Colón”
  4. La ferrolana fragata Cristóbal Colón se estrena en la lucha contra la piratería
  5. La Armada investiga el cañonazo fortuito de un buque en Yibuti
  6. La fragata «Cristóbal Colón» protege a un buque de guerra de la US Navy
  7. Las cinco fragatas F-100, juntas en la mar por primera vez
  8. La F-105 termina con éxito en Norfolk su prueba de misiles
  9. Navantia ya está en la lista corta del programa de fragatas de Canadá
  10. La «Cristóbal Colón» ya es una fragata 100 % operativa
  11. La fragata Cristóbal Colón zarpa hacia Australia en apoyo a Navantia
  12. La «Cristóbal Colón» visita Arabia Saudí en su navegación hacia Australia
  13. La fragata Cristóbal Colón llega a Australia
  14. La fragata Cristóbal Colón finaliza su despliegue en Australia
  15. España participa en el ejercicio Unitas con su buque más moderno
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