Lazaga-class patrol vessel
# Lazaga-class patrol vessel

The Lazaga class is a series of midsize patrol vessels for coastal and exclusive economic zone patrol, built by the Spanish National Bazán shipyards (now Navantia) for the Spanish Navy and the Royal Moroccan Navy. Two of the Spanish units were later transferred to the Colombian Navy.

Based on the German Type 143 Albatros-class vessels, the hull of the first unit was built in Germany and the rest were built in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain in a similar way to that of the Barceló-class patrol boat, in 1976–1977. A second batch of four units was built in 1980–1982 for the Royal Moroccan Navy, which were slightly different from the initial units in armament and navigational systems, as they included missile capability (Exocet MM-40), although that was later removed.

## Service

### Spain

Their early retirement from the Spanish Navy prompted an inquiry in the Spanish senate about the reasons for their decommissioning; some of the reasons presented included lack of endurance and lack of a helicopter capability. It seems, however, that the navy was using the ships for roles more complex than those initially designed for. Under its initial German design, the ships were designed for fast attack by the German Navy as fast attack ships using Exocet missiles in the Baltic Sea, allowing for quick return to their bases. In Spain, that was their initial use as well, and they included a modern targeting system Signaal (now Thales) WM-22, similar to that used in the Descubierta-class corvette (WM-25) and in the Santa Maria-class frigate (WM-28). Budgetary restrictions did not allow that plan to be fully completed and they were not fitted with missile capability in the end, which left them stripped of one of their most important capabilities.

The creation of the Maritime service of the Civil Guard (Spanish: Servicio Marítimo de la Guardia Civil) only sped up their demise in the Spanish Navy, since many small and midsize boats were decommissioned from the navy as some of the coast guard functions were transferred to the new service.

Some of their systems, including the Oto Melara 76 mm/62 cannon, the diesel engines and the surface search radar were dismounted and used as spare parts for the Descubierta-class corvettes which shared those systems.

### Morocco

Some of the systems, including the 76 mm/62 Oto Melara cannons, their targeting systems were ceded to the Royal Moroccan Navy. In 2008, two of the Moroccan vessels were upgraded in Cartagena, Spain, for an estimated amount of US$ 10 million

### Colombia

Two of these boats were transferred to the Colombian Navy in 1997, where they served until 2009 when they were finally disposed of and sunk as part of the "Pelícano II" training exercises.

## Ships of the class

| # | Country | Name | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Spain | Lazaga (P-01) | 16 August 1975 | 30 June 1993 | Scrapped; |
| 2 | Spain | Alsedo (P-02) | 1977 | 30 June 1993 | Scrapped |
| 3 | Spain | Cadarso (P-03) | 10 July 1976 | 1993 | Sold to Colombian Navy |
| 3 | Colombia | ARC Jorge Enrique Márquez Durán | 1997 | 2011 | Retired and awaiting final disposition. |
| 4 | Spain | Villaamil (P-04) | 1977 | 30 July 1993 | Scrapped |
| 5 | Spain | Bonifaz (P-05) | 11 July 1977 | 30 July 1993 | Scrapped |
| 6 | Spain | Recalde (P-06) | 1977 | 30 July 1993 | Sold to Colombian Navy |
| 6 | Colombia | ARC Capitán Pablo José de Porto | 1997 | 2009 | Retired and sunk as part of training exercises |
| 7 | Morocco | Commandant Al Khattabi (304) | 30 July 1981 | | Active |
| 8 | Morocco | Commandant Boutouba (305) | 11 December 1981 | | Active |
| 9 | Morocco | Commandant El Harty (306) | 25 February 1982 | | Active |
| 10 | Morocco | Commandant Azouggarh (307) | 2 August 1982 | | Active |
