Vasco da Gama-class frigate (MEKO 200PN)

Vasco da Gama-class frigate (MEKO 200PN) 2

Vasco da Gama-class frigate (MEKO 200PN) 3

Vasco da Gama-class frigate (MEKO 200PN) 4

Basic information

Type:

Frigate

Parent class:

MEKO 200 frigate

Operators:

Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa)

Country of build:

Germany

Builder:

Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) Blohm + Voss

Completed:

In service:

1991 – present (33 years)

Ship measurements

Displacement:

3,200 t

Length:

115.9 m

Beam:

14.8 m

Machine

Propulsion system:

CODOG

Propulsion:

2 * MTU 20V 956 TB92 diesel-engines, 8.14MW each
2 * General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 38MW each
2 * controllable pitch propellers

Speed:

32 knots

Range:

4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)

Personnel

Complement:

180

Combat assets

Electronics:

Thales DA08 air search D band radar
Thales MW08 air/surface search F band radar
2 * Thales STIR 180 fire-control radar
SQS510 hull mounted sonar
APECS II/700 ESM
SRBOC launcher

Armament:

2 * Mk 141 quad-pack Launcher for a maximum of 8 * RGM-84 Harpoon
1 * MK 21 Guided Missile Launching System for 8 * RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
1 * 100 mm Mod68 CADAM polyvalent artillery piece
1 * Phalanx CIWS 20 mm Vulcan anti-ship missile defence system
2 * 3 12.75-inch Mk32 torpedo tubes in triple mountings

Aircraft:

2 * Super Lynx Mk.95 helicopters
Helipad
Double hangar

The Vasco da Gama class is a class of frigates of the Portuguese Navy. Named in honor of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the ships are based on the German MEKO 200 design, and are Portugal's major surface ships. Portugal operates three ships of this class, which were built in Hamburg by Blohm + Voss (B&V) and by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel, using modular construction techniques.

The project for the construction of three frigates of this class was authorized by the Portuguese Government in 1985, five years after the request of the Portuguese Navy for the acquisition of new surface ships. 60% of the funding for these ships came from NATO military aid. Similar ships have been built for the navies of Greece, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand.