Navantia, the Spanish Navy and the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MoD) have successfully concluded the Critical Design Review (CDR) of the F-110 frigate program, marking the culmination of the ship’s design and its readiness for full fledge production.
This milestone, key in the development of a system as complex as the F-110, is a fundamental element within the program, as it ensures that the design developed by Navantia meets the capabilities requested by the MoD.
The construction of the first pilot blocks of the F-111, the first of its class, began last April in a steel cutting ceremony led by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez. The beginning of the manufactures, as well as the progress in the purchase of equipment and materials, have made it possible to reach the CDR with full guarantee of production work and with properly trained personnel. All the five F-110 class frigates are expected to be delivered by 2032.
Development of the now fully validated design has included a significant contribution from suppliers and collaborating industry, which has had to adapt its proposals to the new developments and capabilities that the frigate will incorporate.
This CDR included new elements not contemplated in previous programs, given the digital and smart profile of the new frigate, analyzing the functionality of the future Digital Twin. Thus, this milestone boosts Navantia’s international strategy as the F-110 design is now ready to be showcased to international partners.
The CDR process began last December and has been fulfilled in June with around 30 technical sessions and two plenary sessions held at Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, on 21st and 22nd June. The company claims that the level of technical maturity of the F-110 design is the highest ever reached in Navantia’s programs.
Plenary sessions were attended by representatives of the MoD, the Navy and Navantia, as well as the US Navy and suppliers such as Lockheed Martin, Indra, Thales, Ingeteam and Ferri. On Thursday 23 June, the CDR closed with the executive session, which was attended by officials from the Directorate General for Armaments and Material (DGAM), the Navy’s Logistics Support Headquarters (JAL) and the Naval General Staff (EMA).
