Kilic I/II class fast attack craft of the Turkish Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Meltem, boat of Kilic II class. Photo: Turkish Navy

The Kilic (Kılıç) class is the latest class of fast attack craft in service of the Turkish Navy. The class comprises a total of 9 ships. The first batch of three boats are designated Kılıc I (or else Kilic class) and the second batch of six boats are designated Kılıc II (or else Tufan class). The boats are designed by Lurssen; the first batch of ships entered in service the period 1998-2000 while the second batch commissioned the period 2005-2010. The main differences between the two classes are the electronic equipment (specifically the EO fire control tracking system) and the cupola of the main gun. The first two boats were built in Germany and the rest in Turkey (Golcuk shipyards). The full displacement of these boats with the stealth characteristics is 552tons, the length is 62m, the speed is about 40knots and the range is 3,300n.m. with a cruise speed of 16knots. On the bow deck it is an OTO Melara 76mm/62cal gun; it is not clear though if it belongs to the latest Super Rapido version or the older Compatto. The guns onboard the boats of Kilic II class are mounted in a stealth cupola to reduce radar cross-section. The gun is capable to intercept air and surface targets at a distance of 4 km (at 85 degrees) and 16 km (effective 8 km) respectively unleashing 85rnds/min (Compatto) or 120 rnds/min (Super Rapido), weighting greater than 6 kg each.

Laskos class and Kavaloudis class fast attack craft of the Hellenic Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Boat of Kavaloudis class.
Photo: former admiral A. Panagopoulos

Boat of Laskos class.
Photo: Hellenic Navy

In a previous article we described the most modern class of fast attack missile craft (FACM) of Hellenic Navy (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό), the Roussen class. However, the backbone of the fast attack craft fleet consists of two older classes, the Laskos and Kavaloudis class. Laskos class is known as type Combattante IIIA while Kavaloudis class as type Combattante IIIB. Hellenic Navy, after the purchase and entry into service of the Konidis class FACMs (type Combattante II) in 1972 (P-14 Anninos, P-15 Arliotis, P-16 Konidis and P-17 Batsis, all withdrawn the period 2002 - 2004), decided to buy more boats of the type but larger and with heavier armament. It is worth of mention that the boats of Konidis class were the first missile boats to enter service in the Hellenic Navy and the first FACS worldwide that carried the Exocet missiles, one of the most modern anti-shipping missiles of that time. Thus, in September 1974, HN ordered again from CMN and their shipyard in Cherbourg in France, four vessels of the type Combattante IIIA, an admittedly heavy armed design for its time. The vessels were delivered in the period 1977-1978. Laskos class boats are of full displacement 429 tons (almost double displacement of the previous class), length of 56.6 meters, a maximum speed approaching 36 knots with economic speed of 25 knots and a range of 2,500 nautical miles and a complement of 42 men.

Horizon class destroyers of the French and Italian Navy

Written by D-Mitch

The four vessels in the Horizon class in formation

The Horizon/Orrizonte class destroyers is a class of four hich-tech stealth Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) ships which were commissioned the period 2008-2009 in French Navy (Marine Nationale) and Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana).  Two ships were built for each navy, under a multi-national collaboration between the two countries, the Horizon SAS. Horizon SAS was a temporary consortium of companies between Italy and France (50% Italy - 50% France) provided by Orrizonte Sistemi Navali (joint venture between Fincantieri and Finmeccanica) and Armaris (joint venture between DCN and Thales). The project originally included also the United Kingdom  however due to differing requirements from the Royal Navy for a heavier ship that can provide air defence to a fleet that operates in hostile waters, the United Kingdom proceeded alone to develop the Type 45 destroyer instead. The main differences in the requirements were in the Vertical Launching System (VLS) and the scanned array radar. Though four units were planned for each navy, only two were built for each one. The French vessels, Forbin and Chevalier Paul, replaced the two AAW vessels of Suffren class while the Italian vessels of the Andrea Doria class, Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio, replaced the two AAW vessels of Audace class. The armament and equipment are almost identical between the vessels in service with France and Italy. The class carries a variety of weapons and electronic equipment and it is capable for any kind of mission. Great emphasis was given on the stealth performance and thus tilted superstructures, composite materials and special coatings contribute to a very small radar signature.

WARSHIPS OF THE PAST: Kartal class fast attack craft of the Turkish Navy

Written by D-Mitch



Kartal class fast attack missile craft. Photo: Frank Behrends

Kartal class, was till 2016 the oldest class of Fast Attack Craft (FAC) of Turkish Navy (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri), when the last active boat in the class, Pelikan (P-326), was retired. The design originates from the Zobel class (Type 142) torpedo boats which were designed and built by Lürssen for the German Navy in the early '60s. Nine Kartal class Fast Attack Missile Craft (FACM) were built in Germany by Lürssen and they were commissioned  during the period 1968-1970. The Kartal class boats were of 200tons full displacement approximately, length and beam of 42.5m and 7.1m respectively and they had a maximum speed of 42knots achieving a range of around 900km with this high speed. Their keel was made from light metal and they had a wooden planking and aluminum superstructure. These craft had an impressive armament for their size but in the 21st century they were considered old, light and without sophisticated electronic equipment. Of the nine vessels, one (P-325 Meltem) was lost  in a collision with the Russian Smolnyy class training ship Khasan on 25th September 1985, while the older four (P-321 Denizkusu, P-322 Atmaka, P-323 Sahin and P-324 Kartal) were retired earlier in 2013-2014.

Aquitaine class (FREMM) frigates of the French Navy, Royal Moroccan Navy and Egyptian Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Frigate Aquitaine, FREMM. Photo: DCNS

Aquitaine class is the French variant of the FRigate European Multi-Mission (FREMM) class, a class of frigates designed by the French DCNS and the Italian Ficantieri in a joint program to replace the existing destroyers and frigates within the French and Italian navies. The frigates between the two navies share some general characteristics, weapons and systems but also have several differences in the equipment related to propulsion system, electronic equipment and weapons following the different requirements of both navies. Thus, the Italian Navy is building two variants, one for ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) role and one for GP (General Purpose) role. However the differences between these Italian variants are focused basically only in some of the main weapon systems and specifically in the guns and missiles. The GP versions are equipped with a 5in (127mm) gun on the bow deck while the ASW versions retain the 3in (76mm) gun and they are equipped also with four MILAS ASW missiles. Both the two Italian variants will be analyzed in another article. In contrast, the French Navy is acquiring only a multi-mission variant (for the moment) with advanced ASW capabilities as the vessels are equipped with towed sonar array and the capability for land attacks.
 

Dogan, Ruzgar and Yildiz class fast attack craft of the Turkish Navy

Written by D-Mitch

P340 Dogan, Dogan class

The Turkish Navy nowadays (2015) has a fleet of 19  Fast Attack Craft (FAC), separated into four classes, the Kilic, Dogan, Ruzgar and Yildiz class. The last three and older classes are of same design and they are sharing similar technical characteristics and equipment among them. The boats were all manufactured in Turkey with the exception of the Dogan. The newest Kilic class will be analyzed in another article. The Dogan class is the oldest of the three classes as the boats have been built in the period 1976 to 1980. The vessels have a full displacement of 440 tons, a length of 58 meters and a very high speed of 38 knots. The vessels of Ruzgar class were built in the period 1984-1988 and they have a slightly shorter length (57 meters) and a displacement of 410tons. Sometimes the boats of Ruzgar class are considered as a sub-class of Dogan class or even belonging in the Dogan class. The reduced weight of Ruzgar class gives them also a greater speed of 41 (!) knots. The vessels of Yildiz class were built in the period 1994-1995 and they have similar features as those of Dogan class. The crew in the classes consists of around 40-45 people including 6 officers.

Hercules, the multi-purpose rapid transport ship of the Argentine Navy

Written by armored_diplomacy 
Images and infographics by D-Mitch

ARA Hercules, the last of the Type 42 class destroyers in a new role

Few ships have had such a controversial and debatable life as the Argentine Type 42 destroyers. Her story goes back to 1970, when a contract with the British firm Vickers was signed to build two units of the state-of-the art of that time Type 42 destroyers for area air-defense role, as a replacement for obsolete assets used by the Argentine Navy (Armada de la República Argentina or Armada Argentina), as well as for providing air defense for the navy´s flagship, the carrier ARA 25 de Mayo. Originally classified as "Frigate", to avoid the British cutbacks Defence Review 1967/8, and suggested as a lower cost alternative to Type 82 heavy destroyer/cruiser, the Type 42s were high technology vessels, specially designed for the AAW. The contract specified the construction of one unit at the Vickers Shipbuilding yard in Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom and the other in Argentina at Rio Santiago Shipyard, thanks to a technology transfer agreement. The unit to be built in the United Kingdom would be named D-1 Hercules, after a historical Argentine ship commanded by Admiral Guillermo Brown from the XIX century. The ship was completed on May 10, 1976 and she was entered in service in Argentine Navy on September 19, 1977. The second unit would be named D-2 Santísima Trinidad, and it would have a short operational life (commissioned July 1981 and decommissioned in 1989), being even damaged during its construction in 1973 by a terrorist attack.

Roussen class fast attack craft of the Hellenic Navy

Written by D-Mitch

FACM of Roussen class in service with Hellenic Navy.
Photo: Hellenic Navy

The purchase agreement of the first three fast attack craft (FACs) of the Roussen class (Ρουσσέν) was signed in January 2000, and the construction took place at Eleusis Shipyards, while the Vosper Thornycroft (now BAE Systems Maritime) provided the necessary planning, logistics and equipment for the vessels. In August 2003 a contract was awarded for further two ships, Grigoropoulos and Ritsos, to be built by Elefsis. Ritsos was launched in October 2006 while the vessel was commissioned recently in 2015. A contract from the Hellenic Navy (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό) for an additional two vessels, to bring the total to seven, was placed in September 2008. The design is based on the smaller class of vessels of the Vita type serving in the Navy of Qatar and that’s why the class is named also Super Vita. The hull is made of steel while the superstructure is made of aluminum while the whole design has incorporated features for reduction of radar cross section. The first ship of the class was launched in November 2002 while three more vessels were launched the next three years. The sixth boat of the class has been reported to be named Karathanasis and it is expected to be delivered in 2017-18 while the seventh boat, Vlahakos, approximately that period as well. The class is named after its lead ship in honor of Second Mate Nikolaos Roussen, a distinguished World War II submarine officer. Roussen fought bravely during the war but he found death in April 1944 after being mortally wounded during a naval mutiny while he was leading a naval detachment to recapture corvette Apostolis.