On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) published information on the signing, on behalf of the US Department of Defense, of a contract dated June 26 worth 103,900,000 USD with Lockheed Martin for initial work in support of the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modernization of five Spanish F100 Álvaro de Bazán class missile frigates.
Photo: Navantia
The contract covers costs only, for the execution of key initial work such as long lead-time material procurement, early engineering support, and the establishment of a test facility under the Spanish frigate modernization program. This contract covers a Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Spain.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (90%), Clearwater, Florida (7%), Madrid, Spain (2%), and Owego, New York (1%), with completion planned for June 2027. Initial FMS (Foreign Military Sales) funds for Spain in the amount of 51,399,999 USD were obligated at the time of contract award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year (through September 30, 2026).
On January 29, the US Department of State issued approval for the potential sale to Spain of an MLU modernization package for five frigates at a maximum value of 1.7 billion USD. The package included, among other things, Aegis Combat System sets, central digital signal processing computers, 48-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) Baseline VII Strike Length Launchers, and AN/SPS-73(V)18 NGSSR surface search radars.
It is also worth adding that on November 26, 2025, according to Spanish company Navantia, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved the signing of a contract with an estimated value of 3.2 billion EUR for the MLU modernization of five F100 Álvaro de Bazán class frigates. The work is expected to last up to 120 months (10 years) from the date of signing the relevant contractor agreement. The modernization will be carried out at Navantia’s shipyard at Ría de Ferrol.
Five vessels (out of six planned), built by Navantia, serve in the Spanish Navy (Armada Española). These are Álvaro de Bazán, Almirante Juan de Borbón, Blas de Lezo, Méndez Núñez, and Cristóbal Colón, which entered service between 2002 and 2012.
The goal of the MLU program is to extend the operational life of the entire class to 2045, address identified obsolescence, ensure commonality of updated systems, improve their performance and functionality, and bring them into compliance with environmental regulations.
F100 Álvaro de Bazán
The F100 frigates measure 146.7 m in length, 18.6 m in beam, have a draught of 4.75 m, a standard displacement of 5,900 tonnes, and a full load displacement of 6,594 tonnes. Propulsion consists of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines with a combined output of 46,650 hp (34,790 kW) and two Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines with a combined output of 12,000 hp (8,900 kW), providing a maximum speed of 28 knots and a range of up to 4,500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 18 knots. The crew consists of 201 officers and sailors.
The vessels are equipped with a 48-cell Mk 41 VLS launcher for 32 SM-2MR Block IIIA surface-to-air missiles or 64 RIM-162 ESSM missiles, eight RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers, a 127mm Mk45 Mod 2 naval gun, and two 325mm Mk 32 Mod 9 torpedo tubes for 12 Mk 46 Mod 5 lightweight torpedoes. The stern accommodates one SH-60B Seahawk (LAMPS III) multirole helicopter.
Based on this design, three slightly larger Australian Hobart-class air warfare destroyers (Hobart, Brisbane, and Sydney) were built, entering service between 2017 and 2020. The design was modified and features enhanced capabilities of the American Aegis Combat System in the Baseline 7.1 version.
The F100 was also the basis for five slightly smaller Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates (Fridtjof Nansen, Roald Amundsen, Otto Sverdrup, Helge Ingstad, and Thor Heyerdahl), which entered service between 2006 and 2011. One of them, Helge Ingstad, was rammed by the Maltese tanker Sola TS on November 8, 2018, and subsequently sank near the Sture oil terminal in the Norwegian municipality of Øygarden. Following her salvage, towing, and damage assessment, a decision was made to scrap her. The Norwegians alleged design defects on the part of the Spanish, but in June of this year a court settlement was reached, finding that the accident was the result of a series of human errors and that the sinking was a combination of damage and design flaws.
The F100 was also unsuccessfully offered to Poland under the Miecznik program.