Wielingen-class frigate

Verni, the former Wielingen, in 2015
Class overview
Name	Wielingen class
Builders	Boelwerf Shipyard Cockerill Shipyard
Operators	Belgian Navy Bulgarian Navy
Preceded by	Template:Sclass-
Succeeded by	Template:Sclass-
In service	Belgian Navy: 1976–2007 Bulgarian Navy: 2005–
Completed	4
Active	3
Scrapped	1
General characteristics
Type	Guided missile frigate
Displacement	2,200 tons
Length	106.38 m (349 ft 0 in)
Beam	12.3 m (40 ft 4 in)
Draught	5.6 m (18 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	Combined Diesel or Gas turbine 2 ABC type DZC diesel engines of 4,200 hp (3,100 kW) 1 Rolls Royce Olympus TM – 3B gas turbine 27,575 hp (20,563 kW)
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
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

The Wielingen class is a class of four multi-functional frigates built for the Belgian Navy. 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.

History

The Belgian government decided on 22 December 1970 to order four new frigates, which would be built by Belgian shipyards. These ships would replace the old escort ships of the Template:Sclass-. The last of these left service in 1969.

Project studies had already begun in 1964 with the advice of the Dutch Navy and continued in 1971 in cooperation with the two Belgian shipyards, Boelwerf, at Temse, and Cockerill, at Hoboken, Antwerp. The construction of the ships began in 1974. The four ships, Wielingen, Westdiep, Wandelaar, and Westhinder, were commissioned in the following years.

The fourth frigate, Westhinder, was decommissioned in 1993 according to the reforms of Defence Minister Leo Delcroix. She had previously been damaged during an anti-submarine exercise off the coast of Norway. The third ship, Wandelaar, followed in 2004 and was sold to the Bulgarian Navy the same year. Wielingen and Westdiep were sold to Bulgaria in 2008.

Ships

Wielingen

• Built: Boelwerf, Temse
• Launched: 30 March 1976
• Commissioned: 20 January 1978
• Decommissioned: 2006
• Fate: Sold to Bulgaria in 2008, refurbished and commissioned as Verni (Верни – Faithful) (42)

Westdiep

• Built: Cockerill, Hoboken, Antwerp
• Launched: 8 December 1975
• Commissioned: 20 January 1978
• Decommissioned: 5 October 2007
• Fate: Sold to Bulgaria in 2008, refurbished and commissioned as Gordi (Горди – Proud) (43)

Wandelaar

• Built: Boelwerf, Temse)
• Launched: 21 June 1977
• Commissioned: 3 October 1978
• Fate: Sold to Bulgaria in 2004, refurbished and commissioned as Drazki (Дръзки – Daring) (41)

Westhinder

• Built: Cockerill, Hoboken, Antwerp
• Launched: 30 March 1976
• Commissioned: 20 January 1978
• Decommissioned: 1993
• Fate: Scrapped

See also

• List of naval ship classes in service