Santa María-class frigate

Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship class overviewTemplate:Infobox ship characteristics

The Santa María class of guided missile frigates is the Spanish Navy's designation for six warships based on the United States Template:Sclasss. Spanish ships have a slightly bigger beam and were built with a greater weight reserve for future improvements. Other changes from the basic model include Meroka replacing Phalanx and a RAN-12L air search radar to provide low horizon coverage against sea skimmers cueing the Meroka CIWS mount. The Nettunel EW suite (based on the Italian Nettuno built in Spain) replaced the SLQ-32 system fitted aboard US ships. The first ship Template:Ship entered service in 1986.

They are expected to be replaced by the new Bonifaz class starting around 2028.

Design and description

The Santa María class are a series of six guided missile frigates based on the American Template:Sclass.Template:Sfn The Oliver Hazard Perry class had been conceived as a way to reduce unit costs while maintaining an anti-air warfare (AAW) platform with anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare capabilities.Template:Sfn The Oliver Hazard Perry class came in two forms, the short-hulled and long-hulled, with the Santa María class being of the later with additional beam to allow for more top weight for future modifications.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The class came in two batches, with the first four being of batch one and the final two of the second. The first batch of ships have a displacement of Template:Convert light, Template:Cvt standard and Template:Cvt at full load. The second batch have the same light and standard displacements, with a full load displacement of Template:Cvt. The frigates measure Template:Convert long overall and Template:Cvt at the waterline with a beam of Template:Cvt and a standard draught of Template:Cvt and a maximum draught at the sonar dome of Template:Cvt.Template:Sfn The ships have a complement of 223 sailors including 13 officers.Template:Sfn

The Santa María class is propelled by a controllable pitch propeller powered by two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines creating Template:Convert, giving the vessels a maximum speed of Template:Convert. The frigates stow Template:Cvt of fuel and have a range of Template:Convert at Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn or Template:Cvt at Template:Convert.Template:Sfn The ships have four 1,000 kW Kato-Allison 114-DOOL diesel generator sets creating a total of 4,000 kW. These can power two Template:Cvt retractable, rotatable auxiliary propulsion motors.Template:Sfn The vessels have fin stabilisers fitted.Template:Sfn

Armament and sensors

Frigates of the Santa María class are armed with a single-armed Mk 13 missile launcher serviced by a 40-round magazine that can handle 32 SM-1MR anti-air/ship missiles and 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The Harpoon missiles have a range of Template:Cvt at Mach 0.9 carrying a Template:Convert warhead. The SM-1R missiles have a range of Template:Cvt at Mach 2. The vessels also mount a single [[Otobreda 76 mm|OTO Melara Template:Convert/62 calibre naval gun]] capable of firing 85 rounds per minute up to Template:Cvt with each shell carrying a Template:Cvt warhead.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn For AAW defence, the ships mount a single Meroka Template:Cvt/120 12-barrelled close-in weapons system (CIWS) capable of firing 3,600 rounds per minute up to Template:Cvt. For ASW, the frigates are armed with two triple-mounted Mark 32 torpedo tubes for Mod 5 Mark 46 torpedoes.Template:Sfn

The vessels are equipped with AN/SPS-49(V)4 2-D air search ((V)5 in Navarra and Canarias) radar, RAN-12L (being replaced by RAN-30) 2-D low horizon air search radar for the Meroka CIWS, SPS-55 surface search radar and a Mk 92 fire-control radar. For ASW, the ships have SQS-56 sonar, SQR-19(V) towed array (-19(V)2 in Navarra and Canarias). For weapons fire control, they have Mk 13 weapons control, Mk 92 and SPG-60 STIR missile control, SQQ-89 ASW systems. For electronic warfare they have Nettunel (Navarra and Canarias: Mk-3000) intercept, a SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy, and Mk36 SROC decoy launchers.Template:Sfn

Aircraft

As long-hulled versions of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, the Santa María-class frigates have twin hangars to accommodate up to two Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) III helicopters though only one is usually embarked. The helicopter deck, located aft, is equipped with the RAST helicopter deck-handling system designed to handle LAMPS helicopters.Template:Sfn

Construction and service

File:Standard Missile of Spanish frigate SPS Canarias (F86).jpg

Canarias firing a Standard missile on 30 July 2006

The first three ships were ordered on 29 June 1977. Delays in construction followed as the Spanish Navy deferred the frigates' construction in order to focus on the construction of a new aircraft carrier. The fourth hull was ordered on 19 June 1986, and the final two on 26 December 1989. Santa María was the first of the class to enter service in 1986.Template:Sfn In August 1991 Santa María was among the Spanish ships deployed to the Persian Gulf and Red Sea as part of the International Force following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. She was later replaced by sister ship Numancia in November.Template:Sfn By 1994 all six vessels were active and are homeported at Rota, Spain as part of the 41st Escort Squadron.Template:Sfn

Units of class

Santa María class construction dataTemplate:Sfn
Number	Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
F81	Template:Ship	Izar, Ferrol, Spain	23 May 1982	24 November 1984	12 October 1986	In service
F82	Template:Ship		16 August 1983	23 July 1986	11 November 1987	In service
F83	Template:Ship		8 January 1986	30 January 1987	8 November 1988	In service
F84	Template:Ship		12 December 1987	19 July 1989	18 October 1990	In service
F85	Template:Ship		15 April 1991	23 October 1992	30 May 1994	In service
F86	Template:Ship		15 April 1992	21 June 1993	14 December 1994	In service

References

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External links

• MaritimeQuest Oliver Hazard Perry Class Overview
• BUQUESDEGUERRA.TK, a Spanish website about warships