From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Class of Greek frigates
HS
Spetsai
transits the Mediterranean Sea during Phoenix Express (2008)
|
Class overview
|
Name
| Hydra
,
MEKO 200 HN
|
Builders
| Blohm + Voss
,
Hellenic Shipyards
|
Operators
|
Hellenic Navy
|
In commission
| 1992–present
|
Planned
| 6
|
Completed
| 4
|
Cancelled
| 2
|
Active
| 4
|
General characteristics
|
Type
| Frigate
|
Displacement
|
- 3,360 tons standard
- 4,000 tons full load
|
Length
| 117.5 m (385 ft 6 in)
|
Beam
| 14.8 m (48 ft 7 in)
|
Draught
| 6.0 m (19 ft 8 in)
|
Propulsion
| |
Speed
|
- 31
knots
(57 km/h; 36 mph) (gas turbine)
- 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (diesel only)
|
Range
| 4,100
nmi
(7,600 km; 4,700 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
|
Complement
|
- 173
- 22 officers, 151 enlisted
|
Sensors and
processing systems
|
- Signaal MW08 air search radar
- Signaal DA08 air surface radar
- 2 Signaal STIR fire control radar
- Racal Decca 2690 BT navigation radar
- Raytheon SQS-56/DE 1160 hull-mounted and VDS sonar
- SLQ-25 Nixie
torpedo decoy
- Mk XII Mod 4 IFF radar
- 2 Signaal Mk 73 Mod 1 radar for ESSM
- Signaal STACOS Mod 2 combat data system
- SAR-8 IR searcher
|
Electronic warfare
& decoys
|
- Argo AR 700
ESM
system
- Telegon 10
ESM
system
- Argo APECS II
ECM
system
- 4 SCLAR decoy launchers
|
Armament
| |
Aviation facilities
| Hangar
for 1
Sikorsky S-70B-6 Aegean Hawk
helicopter
|
The
Hydra
class
[1]
[2]
are a group of four
frigates
in service with the
Hellenic Navy
. They were designed in
Germany
and are part of the
MEKO
group of modular warships, in this case the
MEKO 200
design. The programme was authorised in 1988 and partially paid for with FMS aid and provisioned for the commission of six vessels. The first ship was built in Germany and commissioned in 1992 but suffered a serious fire while working up near
Portland
,
England
. Repairs were completed in 1993. The
Greek
built warships were delayed due to financial problems on the part of the
Hellenic Shipyards
completing in the late 1990s which also led to limiting the total number of vessels to four mainly after the acquisition of eight
Kortenaer
-class
frigates from the
Netherlands
in the late 1990s.
Upgrade programs
[
edit
]
In 2007, an upgrade of the STIR fire control system to allow the firing of the
RIM-162 ESSM
surface-to-air missile
was launched.
Salamis
was the first to be upgraded and, in August 2008, successfully completed a live firing test. The other three
Hydra
vessels were upgraded during 2008.
On April 25, 2018 the Greek defense minister
Panos Kammenos
announced that the modernization of the four vessels is in progress but without presenting any further details about the program.
[3]
In May 2019, the Joint Chiefs of General Staff Council (ΣΑΓΕ) decided the commencement of the modernization program for the four ships of the class.
[4]
The program was finally approved by the Greek Parliament in April 2023.
[5]
Ships
[
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]
See also
[
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]
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
HS
Spetsai
transits alongside the Military Sealift Command container and roll-on-roll-off ship
USNS
LCPL Roy M. Wheat
-
HS
Psara
-
HS
Salamis
-
A view from
USS
Seattle
, showing HS
Psara
underway conducting a replenishment at sea in 2002
-
HS
Hydra
in 2022
References
[
edit
]
Sources
[
edit
]