BNS Bangabandhu
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2015) |
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Bangladesh | |
| Name | BNS Bangabandhu |
| Ordered | 1998 |
| Builder | Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Republic of Korea |
| Laid down | 11 March 1998 |
| Launched | 29 August 2000 |
| Commissioned | 20 June 2001 |
| Decommissioned | 13 February 2002 |
| Reclassified | Reduced to the reserve on 13 February 2002 |
| Name | BNS Khalid Bin Walid |
| Recommissioned | 13 July 2007 |
| Renamed | BNS Bangabandhu in 2009 |
| Homeport | Chattogram |
| Identification | Pennant number: F 25 |
| Nickname(s) | BNS BB |
| Status | In active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Template:Sclass- |
| Displacement | 2400-2500 tones |
| Length | 103.7 m (340 ft) |
| Beam | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
| Draught | 3.8 m (12 ft) |
| Propulsion | CODAD: 4 SEMT-Pielstick 12V PA6V280 STC diesels; 22,501 hp (16.779 MW) sustained; 2 × shafts |
| Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h) |
| Range | 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) |
| Complement | 186 (16 officers) |
| Sensors and processing systems |
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| Electronic warfare & decoys |
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| Armament |
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| Aircraft carried | 1 × hangar, 1 ×AgustaWestland AW109 SAR Helicopter |
BNS Bangabandhu (Bangla:বানৌজা বঙ্গবন্ধু) is a guided missile frigate of the Bangladesh Navy, and is one of the most modern currently in service. She is currently moored at Chattogram, serving with the Commodore Commanding BN Flotilla (COMBAN). About 200 personnel serve aboard her. This frigate type is said to the most modern frigate of its class according to the Bangladesh Navy.
Design and description
The primary role of this ship is the defence and surveillance of the country's exclusive economic zone. Bangabandhu also carries out various constabulary tasks within Bangladesh's maritime boundary against maritime terrorism, environmental pollution, smuggling and can also be deployed for search and rescue operations when necessary.
Armament
This vessel is said to be the most modern frigate of its class according to official statistics. It is equipped with some of the most advanced systems available; the Otomat Mk.II anti-ship missiles on board the vessel are an advanced and highly capable missile system with a range of over 180 kilometres (110 mi); with mid-course update from suitably equipped helicopters, aircraft or surface platforms these anti-ship missiles can change course mid-flight and the warship does not need to be re-positioned to fire at the target (unlike other anti-ship missiles). On 17 June 2013, during the annual exercise Sea Thunder 2013, BNS Bangabandhu successfully fired an Otomat missile for the first time. Additionally the vessel is armed with sophisticated point-defence surface-to-air missile (SAM) system in the form of eight FM-90N SAMs (15 kilometres (9.3 mi) range) and Fast Forty 40 mm/70 compact CIWS in two twin mounts. The vessel is also armed with six 324 mm B-515 torpedo tubes in two triple mounts which fire the EuroTorp Whitehead A244/S Mod.3 torpedoes. All of these weapons systems together with the one Otobreda 76 mm/62 Super Rapid gun give the vessel extensive combat capability.
The AgustaWestland AW109 Power naval helicopter on board can be used for Search and Rescue (SAR) purpose.
In April 2018, Bangladesh Navy issued a tender for replacing two 40 mm Fast Forty guns on-board the ship with new 40 mm twin-barrel gun system.[1]
Electronic warfare
This frigate is equipped with Cutlass 242 ESM suite which can operate in a very dense signal environment (up to 500,000 pps). For electronic countermeasures (ECM), the ship has Scorpion 2 jammer. Scorpion is a RECM system for the protection of naval vessels from surveillance and target-designation radars, fire-control radars and RF-guided missile seekers. The primary purpose is to protect against sea-skimming radar-guided missiles. Integrated with Cutlass 242, Scorpion can simultaneously jam two targets in 360 degree coverage. LINK Y MK2 tactical datalink system is used by the ship to coordinate the actions of ship with airborne platforms and land-based units to achieve mission goals. The ship also has Thales TACTICOS combat management system.
Career
Named after Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who is popularly termed as Bangabandhu, the frigate is capable of serving in a combat role, as well as performing peacetime maritime duties. She was laid down on 11 March 1998 at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Republic of Korea, and commissioned on 20 June 2001 as BNS Bangabandhu.
Later, the ship was decommissioned for various warranty repair work and placed in reserve class-III as DW 2000-H frigate on 13 February 2002. In 2007 she was recommissioned again as BNS Khalid Bin Walid. Later on in 2009 she was renamed BNS Bangabandhu.
The ship participated in Exercise Ferocious Falcon, a multinational crisis management exercise, held at Doha, Qatar in November 2012. While transiting to the exercise, the frigate visited the port of Kochi, India.[2] The ship took part in Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training(CARAT), an annual bilateral exercise with United States Navy, from 2011 to 2015.[3]
On 29 August 2013, the ship received the National Standard.[4] Until then Bangabandhu was serving as the flagship of the Bangladesh Navy.
In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a 777-200ER gone missing while in flight. Due to the possibility of finding the wreckage in the Bay of Bengal, Bangabandhu, along with the frigate Umar Farooq, joined the search operation in the region.[5]
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On 31 May 2016, she started for Colombo, Sri Lanka with 150 tonnes of relief for the victims of the floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Roanu. The relief included drugs, water purifying machines, pure drinking water, tents, food items and generators. She will also join the rescue efforts there.[6]
The ship left for Qatar on 22 February 2018 to take part in 6th Doha International Maritime Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX-2018) to be held from 12 March to 14 March 2018. She will pay goodwill visits to Mumbai port of India 2 March to 5 March 2018 and to Colombo port of Sri Lanka from 22 March to 25 March 2018.[7]
See also
References and notes
- ^ "TENDER SPECIFICATION REPLACEMENT OF 2 X 40 L 70 NAVAL GUN - BNS BANGABANDHU" (PDF). dgdp. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "BNS Bangabandhu berths at Kochi". The Hindu. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
- ^ "US-Bangla jt exercise begins today". Independentbd.com. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "PM confers National Standard to BNS Bangabandhu". NewsWorld365.com. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ "Bangladesh sends 2 navy ships to verify MH370 wreckage claim". The Daily Star. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
- ^ "Bangladesh Navy's ship starts for Sri Lanka with more aid for flood victims". bdnews24.com. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ "BNS Bangabandhu sails for Doha". The Bangladesh Post. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
