SPS Navarra (F85) is the fifth of the six Spanish-built s, based on the American design, of the Spanish Navy

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...

.

Laid down on April 15, 1991, and launched on October 23, 1992, Navarra was commissioned in service on May 27, 1994.

The ship features a series of improvements to her previous sisters, with a new Meroka mod 2B CIWS

Meroka CIWS

The Meroka CIWS is a Spanish Navy 12 barrelled 20 mm CIWS, using twelve Oerlikon 20 mm/120 guns mounted in 2 rows of 6 guns each. The system's primary purpose is defence against anti-ship missiles, and other precision guided weapons. However it can also be employed against aircraft, ships...

, and upgraded fire control systems

Ship Gun Fire Control Systems

Ship gun fire-control systems enable remote and automatic targeting of guns against ships, aircraft, and shore targets, with or without the aid of radar or optical sighting. Most US ships destroyers or larger employed GFCS for 5 inch and larger guns, up to battleships such as the USS Iowa...

 with Mk.92 mod6 CORT (Coherent Receiver Transmitter) and SPS-49(v)5

AN/SPS-49

The AN/SPS-49 is a United States Navy two-dimensional, long range air search radar built by Raytheon that can provide contact bearing and range. It is a primary air-search radar for numerous ships in the U.S...

 radar instead of previous (v)4.

All of these Spanish frigates have the length of the later Oliver Hazard Perry frigates, and have a wider beam than the US Navy design, and therefore able to carry more top weight. Fin stabilizers are fitted.

Operational Service

On December 9, 2002, Navarra intercepted the unflagged freighter So San several hundred miles southeast of Yemen

Yemen

The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

 at the request of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 government as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa

Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa

Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa is a joint task force of United States Africa Command . It originated under Operation Enduring Freedom-Horn of Africa as part of the United States response to the September 11, 2001 attacks...

. The frigate fired across the So Sans bow after the freighter ignored hails and attempted to evade the frigate. The freighter's crew was North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

n; 23 containers containing 15 complete Scud

Scud

Scud is a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and exported widely to other countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name SS-1 Scud which was attached to the missile by Western intelligence agencies...

 ballistic missiles, 15 high-explosive warheads, and 23 nitric acid

Nitric acid

Nitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid.Colorless when pure, older samples tend to acquire a yellow cast due to the accumulation of oxides of nitrogen. If the solution contains more than 86% nitric acid, it is referred to as fuming...

 containers were found on board. Yemen claimed ownership of the shipment and protested the interception and U.S. officials released the vessel after receiving assurances that the missiles would not be transferred to a third party.
On 23 March 2010, she sank

Action of 25 March 2010

The Action of 23 March 2010 was an attack by Somali pirates on a Panamanian-flagged merchant vessel and the subsequent capture of the pirates by the Spanish Navy...

 a Somali pirate mothership lifeboat

Lifeboat (rescue)

A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...

 and captured two skiff

Skiff

The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...

s, after private security forces successfully defended the from a pirate attack. The six suspected pirates were later released, when the master and crew of the Almezaan refused to testify.

External links

• BUQUESDEGUERRA.TK, a Spanish website about warships (Spanish)