SPS Navarra (F85) is the fifth of the six Spanish-built Santa Maria-class frigates, based on the American Oliver Hazard Perry class design, of the Spanish Navy.
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, and upgraded fire control systems with Mk.92 mod6 CORT (Coherent Receiver Transmitter) and SPS-49(v)5 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.
On December 9, 2002, Navarra intercepted the unflagged freighter So San several hundred miles southeast of Yemen at the request of the United States government as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa. The frigate fired across the So San's bow after the freighter ignored hails and attempted to evade the frigate. The freighter's crew was North Korean; 23 containers containing 15 complete Scud ballistic missiles, 15 high-explosive warheads, and 23 nitric acid 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 a Somali pirate mothership lifeboat and captured two skiffs, after private security forces successfully defended the MV Almezaan from a pirate attack. The six suspected pirates were later released, when the master and crew of the Almezaan refused to testify.
Ships of the class
F81 Santa Maria
F82 Victoria
F83 Numancia
F84 Reina Sofia
F85 Navarra
F86 Canarias
Sps Navarra is seen here departing Faslane
