Spain launches Roger de Lauria, the second F110 frigate, four months ahead of schedule

The Spanish Navy (Armada) now has its second F110 frigate in the water. The F-112 Roger de Lauria slid down the slipway of Navantia’s yard in Ferrol on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 27, at a ceremony attended by the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez. The ship entered the water at around 16:44, on the high tide, and the launch took place about four months ahead of the planned date. Spanish defence outlet Infodefensa reports that delivery to the Navy is set for the second quarter of 2029.

For Admiral Piñeiro the new unit is “a faithful reflection of Spain’s commitment to innovation and technological sovereignty”. The Spanish Navy presents the launch as a step towards greater industrial autonomy in defence and a boost to a national industry it describes as strategic.

The ship’s sponsor was the writer Almudena de Arteaga, a direct descendant of the admiral whose name the frigate bears. Roger de Lauria (1245–1305) was one of the most important admirals of the Crown of Aragon, with victories at Malta, Naples and the Formigues islands that proved decisive for the Crown’s expansion in the Mediterranean and its hold on southern Italy and Sicily. “This deep and historic family root now binds me forever to this ship,” the sponsor said, wishing that the frigate’s missions would serve peace and security.

The five frigates of the “Bonifaz” class are designed with an emphasis on anti-submarine warfare, with advanced acoustic sensors and propulsion that limits the ship’s noise signature, without neglecting air and surface threats. At their heart is Navantia’s SCOMBA combat system, combined with the SPY-7 radar and the International Aegis Fire Control Loop (IAFCL), as the programme director at Navantia, Rafael Seijo, explains in a recent text. The Integrated Services System (SSI) acts as the ship’s digital nervous system and feeds a digital twin that uses sensor data for maintenance, operation and crew training.

The new frigates will replace the “Santa María” class and will operate alongside the five Aegis-equipped F-100 “Álvaro de Bazán” frigates. This month the Navy and Navantia announced that they are studying an F110 variant with stronger air defence, as we reported in F110 IAMD: an air-defence frigate with more missile launchers. The Spanish company also recently launched the seventh corvette for Saudi Arabia’s navy, which we covered in Navantia launches the seventh Avante 2200 corvette.

After the launch comes the fitting-out phase alongside the quay, before trials. The lead ship, the F-111 Bonifaz, is already afloat, with its main systems being installed and delivery due in 2028. The keel of the F-113 Menéndez de Avilés was laid on July 20 seven months ahead of schedule, the F-114 Luis de Córdova is in its early stages as Ferrol starts up its new digital block factory, and the series closes with the F-115 Barceló, with deliveries through 2032.