''Reina Sofía'' (F-84) is the fourth of six Spanish-builts,
based on the American design, of the
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
.
Construction and career
Laid down
Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.
Keel laying is one o ...
on 12 October 1987, and
launched on 19 July 1989, ''Reina Sofía'' was
commissioned in service on 30 October 1990. She is named for
Queen Sofía of Spain.
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. The ship is staffed by a crew of 200.
On the 200th anniversary of the
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...
in 2005 the Reina Sofía participated in a procession alongside French and British frigates ''Montcalm'' and ''HMS Chatham'' at the site of the battle.
In 2016, the ship participated in migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean.
The Reina Sofía has also participated in training missions in the Mediterranean with the Egyptian navy.
Gallery
File:USS Scott (DDG-995) with spanish warships.jpg, ''Reina Sofía'' on 1 February 1992
File:Rear Adm. Brad Williamson waves to the departing Spanish navy frigate ESPS Reina Sofia. (15932199665).jpg, ''Reina Sofía'' on 24 November 2014
File:ESPS Reina Sofía frigate off the coast of Somalia.jpg, ''Reina Sofía'' off the coast of Somalia, in 2021.
Other units of class
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reina Sofia
Ships of the Spanish Navy
1989 ships
Santa María-class frigates