Wielingen class frigate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 FFG F911 Westdiep |
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Boelwerf Shipyard; Cockerill Shipyard |
| Operators: |  Belgian Navy Bulgarian Navy |
| Preceded by: | Algerine class minesweeper |
| Succeeded by: | Karel Doorman class frigate |
| In service: | Belgian Navy: 1976-2007 Bulgarian Navy: 2005- |
| Completed: | 4 |
| Active: | 3 |
| Scrapped: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Wielingen Class |
| Type: | Fast Frigate Guided Missiles (FFG) |
| Displacement: | 2,200 tons |
| Length: | 106.38 metres |
| Beam: | 12.3 metres |
| Draught: | 5.6 metres |
| Propulsion: | Combined Diesel or Gas Turbine (CODOG): 2 ABC type DZC Diesel engines of 4200hp + 1 Rolls Royce Olympus TM - 3B Gas turbine of 27.575hp |
| Speed: | 28kn |
| Complement: | 159 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
1 Kelvin-Hugues type 1007/Scout navigation radar 1 Hollandse Signaal Apparaten DA-05 surveillance radar 1 Hollandse Signaal Apparaten WM-25 targeting radar 2 EOMS IR/Video optical targeting cameras 1 AN/SQS-510 sonar |
| Armament: | 1 100 mm Creusot-Loire automatic cannon 1 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher with 8 missiles 1 MM-38 Exocet launcher with 4 missiles 1 375mm Bofors depth charge launcher 2 Ecan Type l5 torpedo tubes with 10 torpedoes |
| Armour: | none |
| Aviation facilities: | none |
The Wielingen class is a class of four multi-functional frigates built for the Belgian Naval Component. The ships are named after sandbanks in the North Sea, not far from the Belgian coast, or sea routes. The lead ship is named after the Wielingen sandbank.
[edit] History
The Belgian government decided on 22 December 1970 to order four new frigates, which would be built by the Belgian shipyards. These ships would replace the old escort ships of the Algerine class. These were put out of service in 1969.
The studies on this project already began in 1964 with the advice of the Dutch Navy and continued in 1971 in cooperation with the two Belgian shipyards, Boelwerf (Temse) and Cockerill (Hoboken - Antwerp). The construction of the ships began in 1974. The four ships, F910 Wielingen, F911 Westdiep, F912 Wandelaar and F913 Westhinder, were commissioned in the following years.
The fourth frigate, the F913 Westhinder, was put out of service in 1993 according to the Delcroix reformation plan. It had been damaged earlier during an anti-submarine exercise off the coast of Norway. The third ship, the F912 Wandelaar, followed in 2004 and was sold to Bulgaria the same year. The Wielingen and Westdiep were sold to Bulgaria in 2008.
[edit] Ships
- F910 Wielingen, build at the Boelwerf shipyard (Temse), launched 30 March 1976, commissioned 20 January 1978, decommissioned in 2006, sold to Bulgaria in 2008, going to be commissioned as Verni (Верни - Faithful) (42).
- F911 Westdiep, build at the Cockerill shipyard (Hoboken - Antwerp), launched 8 December 1975, commissioned 20 January 1978, decommissioned on 5 October 2007, sold in 2008 to Bulgaria and commissioned as Gordi (Горди - Proud) (43).
- F912 Wandelaar, build at the Boelwerf shipyard (Temse), launched 21 June 1977, commissioned 3 October 1978 (sold in 2004 to Bulgaria and commissioned as Drazki (Дръзки- Intrepid) (41).
- F913 Westhinder, build at the Cockerill shipyard (Hoboken - Antwerp), launched 30 March 1976, commissioned 20 January 1978 (decommissioned in 1993, now scrapped)
