Colombia ordered four frigates of the West German Type FS 1500 design in 1980 with the first ship intended to be delivered in 1982.

[1] The Colombian Navy intended to upgrade these frigates as funding became available as they became the most powerful ships in their arsenal with the retirement of the older destroyers.

The vessels had a Krupp Atlas AS04-2 hull-mounted sonar, a Racal Scimitar electronic warfare jammer and two Dagaie chaff launchers.

[1] The ships have been improved through the years later receiving Thomson-CSF TAVITAC combat action data systems and Argo AC672 electronic support measures.

[3] The frigates were originally armed with eight MM 40 Exocet anti-ship missiles in two quad mounts located amidships, each carrying a 165 kilograms (364 lb) warhead with a range of 70 km (43 mi).

The Almirante Padilla class were also armed with an OTO Melara 76-millimetre (3 in)/62 calibre Compact naval gun, mounted forward firing 6 kg (13 lb) projectiles to a range of 16 km (9.9 mi), 85 rounds per minute.

The twin-mounted 40 mm guns are situated aft of the landing platform at the rear of the ship and are capable of firing 300 rounds per minute to a range of 12.5 km (7.8 mi).

The landing platform aft is suitable for a Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm MBB Bo 105 CBS-5 or the Eurocopter AS-555-SN Fennec helicopters for over-the-horizon targeting.

In addition, OTO Melara DART ammunition and 16 SSM-700K Hae Sung I (Sea Star) anti-ship missiles were ordered.