F-110 to relaunch Navantia’s world position in frigates market
Spanish shipyards compete now in the USA for 20 ships of this type
Australian Army was the last one to order a frigate’s program to the Spanish public shipyards. Done in 2007, this order arrived to design what it would be the more modern destroy ships of its navy, the AWD, together with two megaships. While the giants amphibious were built in Ferrol, the ships based on the Spanish F-100 were built in Adelaide, under the Navantia’s management. Before 2000, Bazan, as it was called by then, won the international competition opened by the Norwegian Army to build five ships, also based on the Spanish F-100. They were the greater achievements for this model exportation, that now Navantia foresees to re-edit with the future F-110 authorized yesterday by the Minister’s Cabinet, it is a €4,300 million invest and expected to create 7,000 jobs.
The company, directed by Susana de Sarriá, has suffered this year two blows in another two tenders, in Australia and Canada, where she pretended to build around twenty frigates. But the Spanish Defense Ministry bet for developing together with Navantia the most sophisticated frigate (the new F-110) means qualitative improvements on design and processes boosting the company at an international level. More precisely, talking about the frigates sector, it is focus on the USA. Navantia participated on this tender associated with General Dynamics and competes against four companies to get the order that includes the building of 20 ships in the country. The Americans Huntington Ingalls, Lockheed Martin, Austal USA and General Dynamics, and the Italian Fincantieri will be measured. The process will continue next year requesting for offers and the short list of the contestants, and it will be around 2020 when the order will be allocated. In order to raise possibilities within this tender, Navantia has opened a branch in Washington directed by Francisco Barón from Ferrol. Latest phases of this tender will coincide with the first ones for developing the five F-110 program approved by the Minister’s Cabinet. The Government ratified the Treasure Ministry proposal to modify the spending ceiling for three programs in force, which will be full designated to refurbish and renewing materials for the Spanish Army. All together, €7,331million invest has been authorized for security and defense programs, in a long-term plan up to 2032; which will include the frigates for Ferrol.
(Source: Faro de Vigo)