Lockheed Martin and Navantia Advance SPY-7 Radar and Aegis Integration for Spain’s F-110 Frigates.

Spain’s next-generation F-110 frigates are moving closer to gaining a powerful new air and missile defence capability as Lockheed Martin and Navantia advance the integration of SPY-7 radar and Aegis combat technology, according to a November 5, 2026, announcement. Designed to detect sophisticated missile threats earlier and support faster defensive engagements, the system will combine with Spain’s SCOMBA combat management technology to strengthen NATO fleet protection and help allied warships survive increasingly complex attacks at sea.

Lockheed Martin and Navantia are advancing SPY-7 radar and Aegis combat technology integration aboard Spain’s F-110 frigates to enhance missile threat detection, coordinated naval air defence, and NATO maritime security (Picture Source: Lockheed Martin)

Key Tactical Insights:

• Advanced Air and Missile Defence: Lockheed Martin’s SPY-7(V)2 radar will enhance Spain’s F-110 frigates’ ability to detect, track and discriminate sophisticated aerial and missile threats.
• Integrated Naval Combat Capabilities: SPY-7, Aegis fire-control technology and Navantia’s SCOMBA system are being integrated to support coordinated threat tracking, engagement decisions and fleet protection.
• Strengthened NATO Maritime Deterrence: Spain’s F-110 frigates are expected to improve allied interoperability, maritime situational awareness and multinational naval defence capabilities.

The future of European naval air defence increasingly depends on detecting complex threats earlier and responding before they can overwhelm a fleet. In an announcement published on November 5, 2026, US defence company Lockheed Martin highlighted its ongoing collaboration with Spanish shipbuilder Navantia to integrate the advanced AN/SPY-7(V)2 radar and Aegis combat technology into Spain’s F-110 Bonifaz-class frigates, strengthening the Spanish Navy’s capabilities and its potential contribution to NATO maritime deterrence.

SPY-7 Radar: Advanced Detection and Tracking Against Emerging Missile Threats

At the centre of the F-110 frigates’ air-defence architecture is Lockheed Martin’s AN/SPY-7(V)2 radar, an advanced solid-state sensor designed to detect, track and discriminate increasingly sophisticated aerial and missile threats. Developed around a modular Sub-Array Suite (SAS) architecture, SPY-7 allows radar performance and capabilities to evolve through additional modules and software improvements without requiring a fundamental system redesign. A defining technological feature is polarization diversity, which enhances the radar’s ability to distinguish complex radar returns and identify potential threats in demanding electromagnetic environments. According to Lockheed Martin, the wider SPY-7 technology family has demonstrated simultaneous multi-target engagement support during live-fire exercises involving proven interceptors, illustrating its potential contribution to defence against advanced aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic threats.

Related Topic: Spain develops F110 IAMD frigate with 64 missile cells to expand naval air and ballistic missile defense

Beyond Spain, SPY-7 technology has also been selected for major defence programmes in Japan and Canada and is associated with US missile-defence radar systems, demonstrating its growing importance within allied sensor architectures. For the Spanish Navy, this technological foundation offers the prospect of improved surveillance coverage, faster threat assessment and greater adaptability against future missile developments, although ship-specific combat capabilities remain dependent on successful integration and qualification.

Aegis and SCOMBA: Connecting Sensors, Command Systems and Naval Weapons

The integration of SPY-7 with Aegis technology represents more than a radar modernisation; it is intended to create an interconnected air-defence architecture capable of converting sensor information into coordinated engagement decisions. Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat System, which supports more than 120 warships internationally according to the company, provides established command-and-control and weapons-control technology, while the F-110 configuration combines its International Aegis Fire Control Loop (IAFCL) with Navantia’s Spanish-developed SCOMBA combat management system. This arrangement is particularly important because it preserves Navantia Sistemas’ central role in managing the frigate’s combat architecture while incorporating Lockheed Martin’s radar processing and fire-control expertise. A significant milestone was achieved in September 2025 at the Aegis SCOMBA Integration Center in Moorestown, New Jersey, where real-time SPY-7 radar tracks were displayed on SCOMBA consoles and used to conduct simulated engagements against targets actually detected by the radar.

The achievement demonstrated essential interoperability between technologies developed by both companies, although it did not constitute a completed shipboard live-fire qualification. Lockheed Martin has identified further integration across multiple F-110 frigates and a land-based test facility as the next phase, establishing the foundation for validating the sensor-to-shooter chain. Strategically, the effectiveness of this architecture will depend not only on radar performance but also on reliable tactical data exchange, combat-system resilience and the availability of suitable interceptors to counter simultaneous attacks.

Spain’s F-110 Frigates: Strengthening NATO Deterrence and Future Missile Defence

The five F-110 Bonifaz-class frigates represent one of Spain’s most significant naval modernisation programmes, replacing the ageing Santa María-class frigates with highly digitalised, multi-mission warships designed for anti-submarine warfare, fleet escort, air defence and surface operations. The programme builds on Spain’s experience with the F-100 Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates, which introduced Aegis-based air defence into the Spanish fleet and established a long-standing industrial relationship between Lockheed Martin and Navantia. Industrial progress is accelerating: Navantia launched the second frigate, F-112 Roger de Lauria, at Ferrol on October 27, 2026, four months ahead of its agreed launching schedule, with delivery planned for 2029. The first ship, F-111 Bonifaz, is expected to begin sea trials in 2027. Beyond shipbuilding, the F-110 programme illustrates the importance of combining American defence technologies with Spain’s own industrial capabilities.

Lockheed Martin provides SPY-7 and Aegis-related technologies, Navantia leads the shipbuilding effort and develops SCOMBA and key platform systems, while Spanish defence technology company Indra contributes complementary surveillance and electronic-warfare capabilities, including the Prisma 25 X radar and Rigel and Regulus systems. Navantia reports that approximately 65% of the programme’s content comes from Spanish suppliers, supporting national industrial expertise and technological sovereignty. The frigates also incorporate a digital twin intended to improve maintenance, operational efficiency and lifecycle management, potentially enhancing fleet availability over decades of service.

Strengthening NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence Capabilities

From a NATO perspective, the strategic importance of the F-110 extends beyond Spain’s national fleet. As the Alliance prioritises integrated air and missile defence against increasingly sophisticated aircraft, cruise missiles, ballistic threats and unmanned systems, the combination of SPY-7 surveillance, Aegis-related fire-control capabilities and SCOMBA could strengthen the protection of multinational naval formations. Operating in the North Atlantic or Mediterranean, Spanish frigates could contribute to a wider allied surveillance network, support the defence of high-value naval assets and improve coordination among ships, aircraft and command centres. Such capabilities are especially relevant to NATO’s requirement to safeguard maritime reinforcement routes and maintain operational freedom in contested environments. The ability to identify and share threats earlier may complicate an adversary’s planning, but effective deterrence also requires sufficient defensive missile capacity, resilient communications and proven integration with allied command structures.

This consideration gives additional significance to the proposed F-110 Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) evolution, also described as Flight II. Announced by Navantia and the Spanish Navy as a future development concept, it envisages expanded vertical-launch capacity, enhanced missile-defence capabilities and an evolution toward SCOMBA New Generation, while retaining the frigate family’s anti-submarine and multi-mission strengths. Although this future configuration remains under definition and should not be confused with the baseline F-110’s current capabilities, it signals Spain’s ambition to develop a stronger maritime contribution to NATO's collective defence architecture.

The partnership between Lockheed Martin and Navantia represents more than a major naval technology integration effort; it reflects an evolving industrial and operational relationship aimed at equipping Spain with adaptable combat capabilities for an increasingly contested maritime environment. By combining Lockheed Martin’s advanced radar and combat-system expertise with Navantia’s shipbuilding and systems-integration capabilities, supported by Indra and the wider Spanish defence industry, the F-110 programme reinforces both transatlantic defence cooperation and Spain’s technological sovereignty. As integration testing, ship construction and future missile-defence development progress, the Bonifaz-class frigates have the potential to become important contributors to NATO maritime deterrence, strengthening allied situational awareness, coordinated fleet protection and the ability to respond to emerging threats.

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Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.