ENS Al-Aziz
 ENS Al-Aziz moored in Kiel, 24 July 2022
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Egypt | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Al-Aziz Billah |
| Ordered | November 2018 |
| Builder | Stahlbau Nord GmbH, Bremerhaven |
| Laid down | 2020 |
| Launched | April 2021 |
| Commissioned | 14 October 2022 |
| Homeport | Alexandria |
| Identification | Hull number: F 904 |
| Status | In active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Al-Aziz-class frigate |
| Displacement | 3,700 tonnes (3,600 long tons) full |
| Length | 118 m (387 ft) |
| Beam | 14.8 m (49 ft) |
| Draught | 4.3 m (14 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 28 knots (52 km/h) |
| Range | 7,200 NM (13,300 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2 × boats |
| Complement | 120 |
| Sensors and processing systems | |
| Electronic warfare & decoys | |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 × helicopters |
| Aviation facilities | Flight deck and hangar |
ENS Al-Aziz (F 904) (Arabic: العزيز, lit. "powerful") is the lead ship of Al-Aziz-class frigates of the Egyptian Navy.
Design and description
[edit]Al-Aziz is a MEKO A-200EN frigate, designed by Blohm + Voss. The frigate has a length of 118 m (387 ft), beam of 14.8 m (49 ft), and draught of 4.3 m (14 ft).[1] The frigate has a full load displacement of 3,700 tonnes (3,600 long tons) and is powered by combined diesel and gas waterjet and refined propeller (CODAG WARP) propulsion system, consisted of two 5,920 kilowatts (7,940 hp) MTU 16V 1163 TB93 diesel engines connected to two shafts with controllable pitch propellers, and one 20,000 kilowatts (27,000 hp) General Electric LM2500 gas turbine to power the waterjet. She has a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h) and range of 7,200 NM (13,300 km) with cruising speed of 16 knots (30 km/h). The ship has a complement of 120 personnel.[2]
The ship is armed with one Otobreda 127 mm/64 gun and four 20 mm Oerlikon Searanger 20 remote weapon systems.[3] For surface warfare, Al-Aziz are equipped with eight Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missile launchers, consisted of two quad launchers, and 32 vertical launching system cells for VL MICA NG anti-aircraft missiles. For anti-submarine warfare, she is equipped with two twin 324 mm torpedo tubes for MU90 Impact and DM2A4 torpedoes.[4][5]
Her sensors and electronic systems consisted of Thales NS-110 4D active electronically scanned array air/surface surveillance radar, satellite communication system, towed array sonar, Thales SCORPION 2 ECM and ESM system.[4]
The frigate's countermeasures systems consisted of two 32-tube Rheinmetall Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) decoy launchers and decoy launchers for Leonardo WASS C310 surface anti-torpedo countermeasure systems.[4]
Al-Aziz has a flight deck and hangar capable to accommodate two helicopters and a vertically-launched drone,[4] and two boats.[2]
Construction and career
[edit]The Egyptian government signed a US$2.7 billion contract with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in November 2018 for four MEKO A-200EN frigates and training program for its crews. Three ships were constructed in Germany, with the fourth ship to be built in Egypt.[6][7]
Work on the construction of the ship was started with the first steel cutting ceremony in September 2019,[8] with her keel was laid down in 2020.[7] The frigate was launched in late April 2021 at Stahlbau Nord GmbH shipyard in Bremerhaven[9][10] and was fitted out at TKMS facility in Kiel.[11] The ship was named as Al-Aziz in July 2021.[8] She started sea trials in April 2022.[12]
Al-Aziz was handed over to the Egyptian Navy at a ceremony held in Bremerhaven on 14 October 2022. She then sailed for her homeport in Alexandria.[13][14] The frigate arrived at Alexandria Naval Base in 2 November 2022.[15][16][17]
References
[edit]- ^ "Future Egyptian MEKO A-200EN frigate Al Qahhar starts sea trials". navyrecognition.com. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- ^ a b "MEKO® A-200 Frigate". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Searanger naval guns ordered for Egypt". janes.com. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- ^ "First MEKO A-200 frigate for Egypt commences sea trials". shephardmedia.com. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- ^ "Egypt's Meko-A200EN Frigate to Launch This Week". c4defence.com. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ a b "TKMS hands over first MEKO A-200EN frigate to Egyptian Navy". janes.com. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "WIE STEHT ES UM DIE MEKO A200 FREGATTEN FÜR DIE ÄGYPTISCHE MARINE?". sbn-bhv.de (in German). 10 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Egyptian frigate Meko A200EN to be launched". navyrecognition.com. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "Ägyptische Fregatte 'Al Aziz' in Kiel". kriegsschiffe.net (in German). 13 May 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- ^ "Egyptian Navy's MEKO A200 frigate El Aziz starts sea trials". navyrecognition.com. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "ThyssenKrupp Delivers Egypt's First MEKO A-200 Frigate". thedefensepost.com. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "thyssenkrupp delivers Egyptian Navy's first MEKO A-200 frigate Al-Aziz". naval-technology.com. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "وصول الفرقاطة "العزيز" من طراز (MEKO-A200) إلى قاعدة الإسكندرية إيذاناً بإنضمامها للقوات البحرية". mod.gov.eg (in Arabic). 2 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "الفرقاطة "العزيز" من طراز "MEKO-A200" تصل قاعدة الإسكندرية البحرية". youm7.com (in Arabic). 2 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "الفرقاطة "العزيز".. "وحش متعدد المهام" ينضم للأسطول البحري". almasryalyoum.com (in Arabic). 2 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
External links
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