WW-JanFeb 2022 issue.qxp_Pages-12-40-JanFeb WPD 06/01/2022 12:18 Page 30
CORVETTES
Dimitris Mitsopoulos and Dimitris Kelepouris
Modern European corvette designs 2000 - 2030 (Part A)
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n the recent past, a large number of corvettes were in the inventories of European Navies but currently there are very few, with some being transitioned to offshore patrol vessels (OPV). However, European shipbuilders still build such warships for exports. The current analysis gives an overview of modern European corvette designs, ships that entered service from 2000 or are under construction. Note that there are no internationally recognised standards for the way warships are classified and there is enormous variation in size between vessels that have the same classification, even within NATO.
In this article we consider corvettes as the smallest credible surface combatants, ships bigger and more capable than fast-attack missile craft (FACM) but smaller and cheaper than frigates. They are capable of defending adequately against both surface and air threats, and operate as light frigates and light escorts by being the least capable ocean-going warships. Nevertheless, modern corvettes are capable of full 4-dimensional warfare and of transoceanic duty. The (numerous) Russian corvette designs are excluded from our analysis. SPANISH DESIGNS Avante 2200 Patrol, Venezuela The Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has developed the Avante family of ships that includes fast-attack missile craft (FACM), offshore patrol vessels (OPV), corvettes and frigates. The Venezuelan Navy (Bolivarian Armada of Venezuela) has acquired the Guaiqueri Class,
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a class of four modern OPV featuring stealth technology. The designation is Avante 2200 and often is reported as POVZEE from the Spanish Patrullero Oceánico de Vigilancia de la Zona Económica Exclusiva. The vessels, Guaiquerí, Warao,Yekuana and Kariña, were built in Navantia shipyard in Cadiz in the period 2008-2010 and commissioned by 2012. They were designed with provision to become corvettes but the installation of their major weapon systems never materialised. The general characteristics of the class are a displacement of about 2,450t, length of 99m and a speed of 24kt, while the range is 3,500nm at 18kt. The crew totals 60 personnel but the vessel can accommodate a further 32.The ships carry two rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) and are equipped with a helideck and a hangar to accommodate a medium size (10t) helicopter. The class is currently armed with the Leonardo OTO Super Rapid (SR) 3in (76.2mm/62cal) gun forward of the bridge. The armament completes a Rheinmetall Oerlikon MILLENIUM GUN 35mm Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) above the hangar, heavy machine guns and sextuple Mk137 SRBOC decoy launching systems (DLS). There is provision for future installations of missile systems and torpedo launchers.The ship can receive behind the gun an 8-cell vertical launching system (VLS) for surface-to-air missiles (SAM) such as MBDA VL MICA. Amidships there is space for two quad launchers for surface-to-surface missiles (SSM) such as
MBDA EXOCET. There are also hatches for B515/3 or Mk32 trainable triple torpedo launching systems. The electronic equipment includes Thales SMART-S Mk2 surveillance and target designation 3D radar, Thales STING-EO Mk2 fire control radar (FCR) and electro-optical system (EOS), Thales MIRADOR EOS-FCS,Thales SCOUT Mk2 Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) radar, Thales VIGILE 100 Radar Electronic Support Measures (R-ESM) system and Thales ALTESSE Communications ESM (C-ESM) and Communications Intelligence (COMINT) antenna. The combat management system (CMS) is Thales TACTICOS. On 3 August 2012, Warao grounded on a reef off Fortaleza, Brazil when arriving for the joint exercise “VenBras-2012” with the Brazilian Navy. Since then, the ship is out of service. Avante 2200 Combatant, Saudi Arabia In July 2018 it was announced that Navantia had signed an agreement with the Royal Saudi Navy for the construction of five Avante 2200 corvettes in Spain with the last vessel to be delivered to Saudi Arabia by 2024. The first corvette, Al Jubail, was launched in July 2020. The names of the rest of ships are Al Diriyah, Hail, Jazan and Unaizah. The ships in the Al Jubail Class have a length of 104m, a beam of 14 and will be able to accommodate a total of 102 people including crew and passengers. The maximum speed is 27kt. A hangar and helicopter flight deck can accommodate a 10tonnes class helicopter such as the MH60R. Each ship carries two RHIB.
