The Álvaro de Bazán is the lead ship of the Álvaro de Bazán class of air defence frigates entering service with the Spanish Navy. She is named after Admiral Álvaro de Bazán.

Four ships have been ordered by the Spanish Navy. The first, Alvaro de Bazan (F101), was launched in October 2000 and commissioned in September 2002. The second, Almirante Juan de Borbon (F102), was launched in February 2002 and commissioned in December 2003.

The third, Blas de Lezo (F103) was launched in May 2003 and commissioned in December 2004. The fourth, Mendez Nunez (F104), was launched in November 2004 and delivered in March 2006.

The ship incorporates the AN/SPY-1D Aegis Combat System from Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems. The main missions of the ship are fleet protection, anti-air warfare, operation as a flag ship for a combat group, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. Alvaro de Bazan is the first European ship with the Aegis weapon system.

In 1994, Spain entered an agreement with Germany and The Netherlands, which provides cooperation in development and in national construction of the frigates. In Spain, Izar is building the F100, in The Netherlands, Royal Schelde is building the LCF (De Zeven Provincien Class) and in Germany the ARGE 124 group (Blohm and Voss as the leading yard, Howaldtwerke-Deutsche Werft and Thyssen Nordseewerke) is building the F124 (Sachsen Class).