Navantia, the Spanish Navy and the Spanish Ministry of Defence have successfully concluded the Critical Design Review (CDR) of the F-110 frigate program, with the culmination of the design of the ship from the point of view of its engineering. This milestone, key in the development of a system as complex as the F-110 intelligent frigate, is a fundamental element within the program, as it ensures that the design developed by Navantia meets the capabilities requested by the Ministry of Defence and therefore allows to advance with intensity in the construction phase.
The construction of the first pilot blocks of the F-111, the first of the series, began last April in an act headed by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez. These first constructions, as well as the progress in the purchases of equipment and materials, have allowed the CDR to arrive with the shipyard fully prepared to increase production work with total guarantee and with properly trained personnel. From this moment on, the production and employment generation of the program will be intensified, which will mean up to 9,000 jobs (direct, indirect and induced) over a decade. Deliveries, which will occur in a staggered manner, will end in 2032.
In accordance with the progressive increase in production, in the last quarter of 2022 the program will employ more than 600 workers in production and another 600 in areas such as Engineering, Planning or Purchasing. The development of the design, which is considered consolidated after this review, has included an important contribution from suppliers and collaborating industry, which has had to adapt its proposals to the new developments and capabilities that the frigate will incorporate.
In fact, this CDR has included new elements not contemplated in previous projects, given the digital and intelligent profile of the new frigate, analysing the functionality of the future Digital Twin. Thus, this milestone is an important boost to Navantia’s international strategy because with the design consolidated and validated by the Ministry of Defence and the Spanish Navy, potential international customers will show interest in this advanced and intelligent frigate.
The CDR process began last December and culminated this June with around 30 technical sessions and two plenary sessions at the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, on 21 and 22 June. Never in a frigate construction has the degree of maturity in design that has been achieved in this program been reached.
The plenary sessions were attended by representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Navy and Navantia, as well as the U.S. Navy and top-level suppliers such as Lockheed Martin, Indra, Thales, Ingeteam and Ferri. On Thursday, June 23, the CDR closed with the executive session, in which officials from the General Directorate of Armament and Material (DGAM), the Headquarters of Logistics Support of the Navy (JAL) and the General Staff of the Navy (EMA) participated.
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