Spanish frigate Cristóbal Colón

Cristóbal Colón (F-105) in 2013.
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	CODOG 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 2 × Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines 1 x Bow thruster of 850 kW (retractable)
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	Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D 3-D multifunction radar Raytheon SPS-67(V)4 surface search radar Raytheon DE1160 LF active and passive sonar Thales Scout navigation radar 2 × Raytheon SPG-62 Mk99 radar illuminator Aegis combat system
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	1 × 5-inch/54 Mk45 Mod 2 gun Provision for one CIWS FABA 20mm/120 Meroka system. 1 48 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems 32 × Standard SM-2MR Block IIIA 64 × RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile 8 × McDonnell Douglas RGM-84 Harpoon anti-shipping missile 4 × 324 mm Mk32 Mod 9 triple Torpedo launchers with 12 Honeywell Mk46 mod 5 Torpedo 2 x Mk 38
Aircraft carried	1 × SH-60 Seahawk or NH-90

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, the Genoese 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.

Operational history

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

On 9 February 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 11 February. It began a process of inspection, certification and naval training that ended on the 15 February. On 14 February a Sikorsky SH-3 made the first landing on its flight deck.^[3] On 24 February 2014, she sailed from her base in Ferrol to join the Atalanta anti-piracy operation in Indian waters.^[4]

On 16 March 2014 she relieved Álvaro de Bazán in Djibouti. While in port an accidental firing of the 127-mm cannon occurred. The shell fell to the sea floor after flying over a hotel and a mosque. Spanish diplomatic authorities had to apologize.^[5]

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

Cristóbal Colón during a visit to the Port of Haifa, training with Israel forces in Standing NATO Maritime Group 2

On 11 July 2014 she returned to her base in Ferrol. The other four ships of the class were also at Ferrol, so that for the first time, the five frigates of the class made a joint training exercise as part of the 31st Escort Squadron.^[7]

In mid-July 2016 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 2 August 2016.^[10]

On 9 January 2017, F105 sailed from her base in Ferrol to Australia, arriving on 20 February 2017. There she helped train the crews of Australian Hobart class ships based on the Álvaro de Bazán-class. 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.^{[11] [12]}

On 24 June 2017, the frigate finished its deployment in Australia and began its return to base. After stopping in Papeete, French Polynesia and Callao, Peru it arrived back to Ferrol in August.^[13] The ship participated in exercise UNITAS 2017 between July 13 and 26.^[14]

Differences from the rest of the class

The design of the Cristóbal Colón incorporates 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

• F110-class frigate
• Spanish frigate Blas de Lezo

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 «Cristóbal Colón» visita Arabia Saudí en su navegación hacia Australia
12. La fragata Cristóbal Colón llega a Australia
13. La fragata Cristóbal Colón finaliza su despliegue en Australia
14. España participa en el ejercicio Unitas con su buque más moderno