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	Santa María on 2 June 2017
History
Spain
Name	Santa María
Builder	Bazan
Laid down	22 May 1982
Launched	11 November 1984
Commissioned	12 October 1986
Homeport	Rota
Identification	MMSI number: 224965000; Pennant number: F81;
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Santa Maria-class frigate
Displacement	3,160 t (3,110 long tons) standard
Length	138.8 m (455 ft 5 in)
Beam	14.3 m (46 ft 11 in)
Draught	6.6 m (21 ft 8 in) max
Propulsion	2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp (31 MW) through a single shaft and variable pitch propeller; 2 × Auxiliary Propulsion Units, 350 hp (260 kW) retractable electric azimuth thrusters for maneuvering and docking.;
Speed	29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
Complement	223
Sensors and ; processing systems	Radar: AN/SPS-49(V)4 2-D air search ((V)5 in F-85 & F-86), RAN-12L (being replaced by RAN-30) 2-D low horizon air search radar for Meroka, SPS-55 surface search radar, Mk 92 fire control system,; Sonar: SQS-56, SQR-19(V) Towed Array (-19(V)2 in F-85 & F-86),; Fire control: Mk 13 weapons control, Mk 92 and SPG-60 STIR missile control, SQQ-89 ASW;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	Nettunel (F-85 & F-86: Mk-3000) intercept, SLQ-25 Nixie, Mk36 SROC decoy launchers
Armament	1 × single-arm Mk 13 Missile Launcher with a 40-round magazine that can handle 32 SM-1MR anti-air/ship missiles and 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles; 2 × triple Mark 32 ASW torpedo tubes with Mark 46 Mod 5 anti-submarine torpedoes; 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm/62 cal. naval gun; 1 × 20 mm Meroka 12-barrel CIWS system;
Aircraft carried	2 × Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters

Santa María (F81) is the lead ship of six Spanish-built Santa Maria-class frigates of the Spanish Navy, based on the American Oliver Hazard Perry class design. The vessel was constructed in 1982 and was launched on 11 November 1984. Santa María was commissioned on 12 October 1986. The frigate has served in NATO maritime operations.

Design and description

The Santa María class are a series of six guided missile frigates based on the American Oliver Hazard Perry class.^[1] The Oliver Hazard Perry class had been conceived as a way to reduce unit costs while maintaining an anti-air warfare (AAW) platform with anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare capabilities.^[2] The Oliver Hazard Perry class came in two forms, the short-hulled and long-hulled, with the Santa María class being of the later with additional beam to allow for more top weight for future modifications.^[3] The class came in two batches, with the first four being of batch one and the final two of the second. The first batch of ships have a displacement of 2,851 tonnes (2,806 long tons) light, 3,160 t (3,110 long tons) standard and 4,017 t (3,954 long tons) at full load. The second batch have the same light and standard displacements, with a full load displacement of 4,107 t (4,042 long tons). The frigates measure 138.8 metres (455 ft 5 in) long overall and 125.9 m (413 ft 1 in) at the waterline with a beam of 14.3 m (46 ft 11 in) and a standard draught of 4.52 m (14 ft 10 in) and a maximum draught at the sonar dome of 6.6 m (21 ft 8 in).^[4] The ships have a complement of 223 sailors including 13 officers.^[1]

The Santa María class is propelled by a controllable pitch propeller powered by two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines creating 41,000 shaft horsepower (31,000 kW), giving the vessels a maximum speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). The frigates stow 587 t (578 long tons; 647 short tons) of fuel and have a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)^[4] or 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).^[1] The ships have four 1,000 kW Kato-Allison 114-DOOL diesel generator sets creating a total of 4,000 kW. These can power two 260 kW (350 shp) retractable, rotatable auxiliary propulsion motors.^[4] The vessels have fin stabilisers fitted.^[1]

Armament and sensors

Frigates of the Santa María class are armed with a single-armed Mk 13 missile launcher serviced by a 40-round magazine that can handle 32 SM-1MR anti-air/ship missiles and 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The Harpoon missiles have a range of 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at Mach 0.9 carrying a 227-kilogram (500 lb) warhead. The SM-1R missiles have a range of 20.5 nmi (38.0 km; 23.6 mi) at Mach 2. The vessels also mount a single OTO Melara 76-millimetre (3.0 in)/62 calibre naval gun capable of firing 85 rounds per minute up to 8.7 nmi (16.1 km; 10.0 mi) with each shell carrying a 6 kg (13 lb) warhead.^[1]^[a] For AAW defence, the ships mount a single Meroka 20 mm (0.79 in)/120 12-barrelled close-in weapons system (CIWS) capable of firing 3,600 rounds per minute up to 2 km (1.2 mi). For ASW, the frigates are armed with two triple-mounted Mark 32 torpedo tubes for Mod 5 Mark 46 torpedoes.^[1]

The vessels are equipped with AN/SPS-49(V)4 2-D air search radar, RAN-12L (being replaced by RAN-30) 2-D low horizon air search radar for the Meroka CIWS, SPS-55 surface search radar and a Mk 92 fire-control radar. For ASW, the ships have SQS-56 sonar, SQR-19(V) towed array. For weapons fire control, they have Mk 13 weapons control, Mk 92 and SPG-60 STIR missile control, SQQ-89 ASW systems. For electronic warfare they have Nettunel intercept, a SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy, and Mk36 SROC decoy launchers.^[4]

Aircraft

As long-hulled versions of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, the Santa María-class frigates have twin hangars to accommodate up to two Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) III helicopters though only one is usually embarked. The helicopter deck, located aft, is equipped with the RAST helicopter deck-handling system designed to handle LAMPS helicopters.^[4]

Construction and career

Laid down on 22 May 1982 and launched on 11 November 1984, Santa María was commissioned into service on 12 October 1986.^[1] The ship is homeported at Rota, Spain as part of the 41st Escort Squadron.^[4] In April 2019, the frigate was part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 operating in the Black Sea in support of Ukraine.^[5] In June 2020, Santa María took part in NATO naval exercises off the coast of Iceland.^[6] On 8 October 2022 the ship suffered serious fire damage, mainly in the helicopter hangar (empty of aircraft at the time), while berthed at Rota, and delaying participation in the Operation Atalanta anti-piracy patrol off Somalia.^[7] On 15 December 2023, Santa María tracked the Kilo-class Russian submarine Ufa when the submersible sailed through Spain's Atlantic exclusive economic zone.^[8]

Notes

^ /62 refers to the length of the gun in terms of calibres. A /62 gun is 62 times long as its bore diameter.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Saunders 2009, p. 745.
^ Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon 1995, p. 600.
^ Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon 1995, pp. 436, 600.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Wertheim 2013, p. 672.
^ Ponomarenko, Illia (1 April 2019). "NATO frigates moored in Odesa port (Photos)". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
^ Vandiver, John (29 June 2020). "Allied subs, warships launch large underwater warfare drills off Iceland". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
^ "El voraz incendio en la fragata Santa María aplaza su salida a la Operación Atalanta contra la piratería" [The voracious fire in the frigate Santa María postpones its departure to Operation Atalanta against piracy]. El Debate (in Spanish). Madrid. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
^ "Spanish Navy Monitors Russian Submarine". Euro Weekly News. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-20.

References

Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010 (112 ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group Inc. ISBN 978-0-7106-2888-6.
Wertheim, Eric, ed. (2013). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World (16th ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9-7-815911-4954-5.