List of future Spanish Navy ships

Naval jack of Spain

The strategic plans of the Spanish Navy are based on the National Defence Directive (NDD) signed by the President of the Government in June 2020. A subsequent Defence Policy Directive was then approved by the Minister of Defence. These serve to guide the Concept of Employment of the Armed Forces (CEFAS-21). ^[1] The earlier 2003 Strategic Defence Review identified six capabilities as critical to the navy. These included: a "Projection Capability" and three subordinate capabilities (Protection, Freedom of Action and Operational Logistic Support). Additionally, the protection of national maritime interests at sea (sovereignty protection) and contributing to early warning were identified to round out the strategic planning framework. The core element has been the "Projection Capability" which was deemed to necessitate platforms that included: a command and control ship, amphibious shipping, an aircraft carrier, platforms with land-attack capabilities and a strategic projection ship.The protection and logistical support capabilities necessitate ships with surface-to-air,surface-to-surface and ASW capabilities while the logistic support capabilities require vessels capable of sustaining task forces on deployment. ^[2]

These strategic planning concepts have resulted in a series of procurement programs for the Spanish Navy.

Frigates

• F-110 class (5 planned with multi-role capabilities to fulfill both power projection and protection tasks)
  • F-111 Bonifaz (es:Bonifaz (F-111)) (planned 2027) ^[3]
  • F-112 Roger de Lauria (es:Roger de Lauria (F-112)) (planned 2028)
  • F-113 Menéndez de Avilés (es:Menéndez de Avilés (F-113)) (planned 2029)
  • F-114 Luis de Córdova (es:Luis de Córdova (F-114)) (planned 2030)
  • F-115 Barceló (es:Barceló (F-115)) (planned 2031)

In January 2023, it was announced that Spain would procure the Naval Strike Missile for the ship to carry out anti-ship and land-attack missions. ^[4] Delivery is anticipated from 2027. ^[5]

Submarines

• S-80 class (equipped with air independent propulsion for multiple tasks; 1 in service, 3 more planned) ^[6]
  • S-82 Narciso Monturiol  [ es ] (under construction, planned 2026) ^[7]
  • S-83 Cosme García  [ es ] (under construction, planned 2028)
  • S-84 Mateo García de los Reyes  [ es ] (under construction, planned 2029) ^[8]

Patrol craft

• Two offshore patrol vessels (BAM III) were approved for acquisition in 2023 at a cost of 550 million Euros; they are planned for service entry in the mid to latter 2020s ^[9]
• Based on the Meteoro class for sovereignty protection tasks, ^[10] a platform is envisaged that will be more survivable and combat capable. Toward that end, Spain is a partner in the European Patrol Corvette program which envisages a vessel for delivery starting in the early 2030s. ^[11]

Auxiliary ships

• Search and Rescue ship
  • Poseidón (A-21)  [ es ] Meteoro modified class (authorized for construction at a projected cost of 166 million Euros in 2021; she began construction in July 2023 and is planned for delivery in 2026) ^{[12] [13] [14]}
• Oceanographic Research ship (2 planned)
• Combat Support Ship (1 vessel planned to complement existing AORs Cantabria and Patiño) ^[15]
• Diving Support Vessel (EAB), ordered in 2024 ^[16]

Naval Aviation

• In October 2022, the General State Budget allocated EUR220 million (US$216 million) to start the process of replacing both the Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet and the Navy's AV-8B Harrier aircraft. A request for information has also been sent to the United States Government about both the F-35A and F-35B aircraft. ^[17] Total projected budget of 6.25 billion Euros as of 2022. ^[14]
• In 2022, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) authorized the sale of eight MH-60R helicopters to Spain, to replace the SH-60B helicopters of the Tenth Aircraft Squadron. ^{[18] [19]} In 2023 the Council of Ministers appropriated 820 million for its acquisition, including engines, missiles and rockets. ^[20] In the longer-term, the acquisition of the NH-90 helicopter is planned as the Navy's principal multi-purpose helicopter. ^[21]
• In 2021, 18 H135 "Nival" helicopters were ordered by the Defence Ministry, of which 7 will be allocated to the Navy's newly formed 12th Squadron. The first aircraft was delivered in October 2023. ^[22]
• In December 2023, the Spanish Ministry of Defence ordered 16 maritime surveillance variants of the C-295 aircraft for the Spanish Air Force and Navy to replace the formerly flown P-3 Orion aircraft. Six of the aircraft are to be equipped for anti-submarine and anti-surface vessel warfare while the remaining ten aircraft are to operate in a maritime surveillance configuration. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2027. ^[23]

Future fleet

On order

Class	On order	Picture	Type	Ship	No.	Planned Comm.	Displacement	Notes
Submarines (3)
S-80 class	3 (+ 2 planned) [24]		Attack submarine	Narciso Monturiol  [ es ]	S 82	2026	3,700 tonnes	[24]
				Cosme García  [ es ]	S 83	2028
				Mateo García de los Reyes  [ es ]	S 84	2030
Major surface combatants (5)
Bonifaz class "F-110 class"	5 (+2 planned) [24]		Frigate: multi-purpose anti-submarine	Bonifaz  [ es ]	F111	2026	6,100 tonnes	Using the Aegis combat system. [25] [26] The Spanish Navy's F-110 frigates will receive Saab's naval laser warning system for improved threat detection and survivability [27]
				Roger de Lauria  [ es ]	F112	2027
				Menéndez de Avilés  [ es ]	F113	2028
				Luis de Córdova  [ es ]	F114	2029
				Barceló  [ es ]	F115	2030
Oceanic patrol vessels (2)
Meteoro class "BAM III" (Buque de Acción Marítima)	2		Offshore patrol vessel	TBD	P-47		2,670 tonnes [28]	[29]
				TBD	P-48
Rescue and support ships (1)
Meteoro class "BAM-IS"	1	—	Submarine mother ship diving support vessel rescue and salvage vessel	Poseidón  [ es ]	A-21	2025	5,000 tonnes	[30]
Hydrographic Survey (2)
BHC (Program name – Buques Hidrográficos Costeros)	2	—	Hydrographic Ships	TBD	TBD	~ 2027	900 tonnes	[31]

Planned future fleet

Class	Planned	Picture	Type	Ship	No.	Planned Comm.	Displacement.	Notes
Submarines (2)
S-80 class	2		Attack submarine	—	S 85	—	3,700 tonnes	Plan to increase the number of active submarines to 6. [24]
				—	S 86	—
Landing Helicopter Docks (2)
Future LHD	2	—	LHD / Aircraft carrier	—	—	—	—	Replacement of the Juan Carlos I, likely to operate F-35B as successor of the Harrier. [32]
				—	—	—
Amphibious warfare ships (2)
Potential future amphibious ships	1 or 2	—	Amphibious ship	—	—	—	—	[24]
				—	—	—
Auxiliary ships
Replenishment oiler BAC II	1		Replenishment oiler	—	—	—	19,550 tonnes	The new ship will replace the Patiño [33]
Major surface combatants (2)
Bonifaz class "F-110 class"	2		Frigate: multi-purpose anti-submarine	—	—	—	6,100 tonnes	2 more F-110 planned to be ordered. [24]
				—	—	—
Corvettes (6)
MMPC "Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette class"	6	—	Multirole corvettes	—	—	—	3,500 tonnes	[34] [35]
				—	—	—

See also

• List of active Spanish Navy ships
• List of historic Spanish Navy ships
• Future of the United States Navy
• Future of the Royal Navy
• Future of the French Navy
• Future of the Royal Australian Navy
• Future of Brazil Navy|
• Future of the Russian Navy
• Future of the Indian Navy
• Future of the Royal Netherlands Navy

Notes

1. "The Spanish Armed Forces in 2035" (PDF). defensa.gob.es. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
2. "Spanish Navy (Armada)". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
3. Staff, Naval News (8 April 2022). "Navantia begins construction of the first F110 frigate for the Spanish Navy" . Retrieved 8 September 2023.
4. "Spanish Navy to Procure a new anti-ship and land attack missile system via NSPA". NATO. 23 January 2023.
5. Panasovskyi, Maksim (2 June 2023). "La Armada española no recibirá sus primeros misiles antibuque NSM de quinta generación y 185 km de alcance hasta 2027". Gagadget.com.
6. "Armada - Ministerio de Defensa - Gobierno de España". armada.defensa.gob.es. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
7. de Santos, Angel Luis (23 July 2024). "Problemas para la Armada: la entrega del submarino S-82 se retrasa hasta 2026 y el S-83 y S-84 no llegarán hasta 2028 y 2029". La Razon (in Spanish).
8. de Santos, Angel Luis (23 July 2024). "Problemas para la Armada: la entrega del submarino S-82 se retrasa hasta 2026 y el S-83 y S-84 no llegarán hasta 2028 y 2029". La Razon (in Spanish).
9. Palacios, Alonso (28 June 2023). "La Armada española se refuerza con dos nuevos buques de acción marítima". El Debate.
10. "Armada Española - Ministerio de Defensa - Gobierno de España".
11. Peruzzi, Luca (19 October 2020). "The Spanish Navy vision for future OPVs based on the EPC design". EDR on-line.
12. "Comienza la construcción del BAM-IS para Armada española en los astilleros de Navantia". defensa.com. 3 July 2023.
13. Groizeleau, Vincent (2 February 2023). "L'Espagne va mettre en chantier son nouveau bâtiment d'intervention sous-marine". Mer et Marine.
14. Palacios, Alonso (6 January 2023). "El gran rearme de la Armada española: nuevas fragatas, submarinos, cazas y helicópteros". El Debate. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
15. Trelles, Gastón (25 January 2024). "Así será el nuevo buque para la Armada que construirá Navantia". Infobae.
16. "Spanish Navy orders new diving support vessel". Naval News. 13 December 2024.
17. "Spain launches Hornet and Harrier replacement efforts". Janes.com. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
18. España tramita la compra de ocho helicópteros Romeo para la Armada por 865 millones La Razón (17-03-2022 )
19. SPAIN – MH-60R MULTI-MISSION HELICOPTERS WITH SUPPORT DSCA (15 de marzo de 2022)
20. España elige al final el helicóptero MH-60R para reemplazar los SH-60B de la Armada Infodefensa (19 de abril de 2023)
21. "Los sistemas de armas a los que se destinará el presupuesto de Defensa español 2023". Defensa.com. 4 February 2023.
22. Maíz, Julio (27 October 2023). "La Armada española recibe su primer helicóptero H135 P3H "Nival", preparado para operar en buques". Defensa.com.
23. Ruitenberg, Rudy (21 December 2023). "Spain orders Airbus maritime patrol, surveillance aircraft for $2B". Defense News.
24. InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "La Armada ya plantea una flota de seis submarinos S80 en Cartagena". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-02.
25. "The largest shipbuilder in the Hispanic world presents its concept of the frigate of the future". 8 November 2021.
26. "Spain to start the building of its new F-110 frigates this year". www.navyrecognition.com. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
27. The Spanish Navy's F-110 frigates will receive Saab's naval laser warning system for improved threat detection and survivability
28. Palacios, Alonso (14 October 2014). "Meteoro class offshore patrol vessels of the Spanish Navy". navalanalyses.
29. Palacios, Alonso (28 June 2023). "La Armada española se refuerza con dos nuevos buques de acción marítima". El Debate.
30. InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "El nuevo buque de intervención subacuática de la Armada se llamará Poseidón". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-02.
31. "La Armada y Navantia avanzan en la definición de los futuros Buques Hidrográficos Costeros (BHC)".
32. InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "Las sorpresas del nuevo plan de la Armada: de los dos LHD y los buques nodriza, a los conectores y el petrolero". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-03.
33. InfoDefensa. "The keys to the Navy's new combat support ship: 650 million and an exported design". www.infodefensa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-05-29.
34. InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "Europa prevé 290 millones para construir dos prototipos de la corbeta europea en la que participa España". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-02.
35. InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "Las sorpresas del nuevo plan de la Armada: de los dos LHD y los buques nodriza, a los conectores y el petrolero". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-03.