The Diplomat
Navantia and the U.S. company Lockheed Martin have signed a new three-year collaboration agreement to develop the new state-of-the-art F-110 frigates, destined for the Spanish Navy.
Navantia and Lockheed Martin began collaborating in 1997 to provide the Spanish Navy with the AEGIS Combat System on the F-100 frigates, which became, thanks to this, the first frigates to incorporate this Lockheed Martin system on a ship of less than 9,000 tons.
Thanks to this collaboration, the Spanish Navy was provided with a high-performance escort ship and, in conflict scenarios, prepared to provide full coverage to the deployed forces, with high anti-aircraft capacity and in full integration with other allied units. “It is a case of success in industrial cooperation, as Navantia developed and integrated its own systems, sensors and weapons with the AEGIS,” the Spanish company said.
Along with the five F-100 frigates, the collaboration between Lockheed Martin and Navantia also resulted in several export contracts: five Fridtjof Nansen class frigates for the Norwegian Navy and three Hobart class AWDs based on the F-100 frigates but with a more updated version of the AEGIS for the Australian Navy.
As a result of this cooperation, both companies are now immersed in the development of the new state-of-the-art frigates for the Spanish Navy, the F-110, as well as other commercial opportunities around the world. “As a result of the collaboration between Lockheed Martin and Navantia, the F-110 will soon join the families of frigates with excellent technological capabilities that sail the waters around the world protecting the safety and freedom of their citizens,” said Navantia’s Commercial and Business Development Director, Javier Herrador. “Our successful industrial cooperation will undoubtedly facilitate new commercial opportunities,” he added.
“The Spanish Navy is one of the oldest naval forces in the world and Lockheed Martin is proud to be part of that history through our partnership with Spain for the F-100 frigate, the S-80 submarine, and now, for the future F-110 multi-mission frigate program,” said Jon Rambeau, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors (IWSS). “With partners like Navantia, with whom we have worked for several decades, it is an honor to build on our successes toward an exciting common future,” he concluded.
