The General Dynamics
Bath Iron Works variant of the
Alvaro de Bazan class frigate, is a solid design from the Spanish shipbuilder
Navantia. It has been a strong contender, offering a well-rounded weapons package already integrated into the Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System. But the design’s reputation took a hit in 2018
when one of Norway’s Navantia-built combatants, the HNoMS Helge Ingstad (F313), sank after colliding with a tanker. Further complicating matters, Bath Iron Works is sitting on a good backlog of work and is in the midst of a vicious labor dispute as the machinists union seems intent upon going to war with the shipyard for a better contract.