Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has launched F-111 Bonifaz, the first frigate of the F-110 program, at its Ferrol shipyard on September 11. The event marked the beginning of a new generation of multi-mission frigates for the Spanish Navy.
The ceremony was sponsored by Queen Sofía and attended by Spain’s Prime Minister, the President of the Xunta of Galicia Alfonso Rueda, the Government Delegate in Galicia Pedro Blanco, Ferrol’s Mayor José Manuel Rey, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Teodoro López Calderón, and Navantia president Ricardo Domínguez.
The vessel is named after Ramón Bonifaz, the first Admiral of Castile. According to Navantia, the launch took place one month ahead of schedule.
The F-110 program, signed in 2019 with a contract value of €4.325 billion, covers the construction of five frigates to replace the Santa Maria-class. The ships are designed with anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine capabilities, and will also conduct maritime security missions and provide support to civil authorities.
Navantia has emphasized the program’s industrial and technological impact, noting that it contributes to Spain’s strategic autonomy and opens opportunities for international cooperation. Earlier this year, the company laid the keel of the second frigate, F-112, and cut the first steel for F-113, keeping the program on track.
The F-110 frigates incorporate a Digital Twin system developed with the Spanish Navy and the Directorate General of Armament and Material. This virtual replica of the ship integrates data from onboard sensors and uses technologies such as cloud computing, machine learning, and IoT to support operations and maintenance remotely.
📌 Navantia (@NavantiaOficial) launched F-111 Bonifaz, the first F-110 frigate for the Spanish Navy, at Ferrol shipyard.
📌 The €4.3B program includes five multi-mission ships to replace Santa Maria class.
📎 https://t.co/0smJugDG1Y pic.twitter.com/ys0E1z4Arz
— Defensehere (@defensehere_en) September 12, 2025