Baleares-class frigate

Baleares during the military exercise Ocean Venture 1981
Class overview
Name	Baleares class
Builders	Navantia, Ferrol, Spain
Operators	Spanish Navy
Succeeded by	Santa María class
Built	1968–1976
In commission	1973–2009
Planned	5
Completed	5
Retired	5
General characteristics final version
Type	Frigate
Displacement	3,350 t (3,300 long tons) (standard) 4,177 t (4,111 long tons) (full load)
Length	133.6 m (438 ft 4 in)
Beam	14.3 m (46 ft 11 in)
Draught	7.8 m (25 ft 7 in) max
Installed power	2 V2M boilers, total 26,000 kW (35,000 shp)
Propulsion	1 shaft, one Westinghouse steam turbine
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	256
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-52B air search radar RAN-12L/X air search radar AN/SPS-10F surface search radar DE1160LF sonar AN/SQS-35(v) variable depth sonar system AN/SPG-53 Mk 68 gun fire control system
Electronic warfare & decoys	Ceselsa Deneb/Canopus, Mk36 SBROC decoy launchers
Armament	one Mk 16 8-cell missile launcher for RUR-5 ASROC one Mk 42 5-inch/54 caliber gun Mark 46 torpedoes from four single tube launchers) 2 × quad Mk 141 launchers for Harpoon missiles 1 × Standard SAM launcher (16 missiles) 2 × 20 mm Meroka CIWS gun systems

The Baleares class were a group of five frigates built for the Spanish Navy in the late 1960s and 1970s. The ships were a modified version of the American Knox-class frigates. The key differences are the replacement of helicopter facilities by a medium-range surface-to-air missile system and associated radars. Constructed between 1968 and 1976, the Baleares class began entering service in 1973 and formed the 31 Escort Squadron, based at Ferrol. The five ships were upgraded several times during their service lives. The ships were retired beginning in the mid-2000s and replaced by the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates on a one-to-one basis.