Saudi frigate Al Riyadh
Al Riyadh (812) is an Al Riyadh-class frigate of the Royal Saudi Navy.
Al Riyadh at Toulon in 2005 | |
History | |
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Saudi Arabia | |
Name: |
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Namesake: | Al Riyadh |
Builder: | Direction des Constructions Navales (DCNS), Lorient |
Laid down: | 28 May 1999 |
Launched: | 1 August 2000 |
Commissioned: | 26 July 2002 |
Homeport: | King Faisal Naval Base |
Identification: | Pennant number: 812 |
Status: | Active |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Al Riyadh-class frigate |
Displacement: | 4,700 tonnes |
Length: | 133 m (436 ft 4 in) |
Beam: | 15.4 m (50 ft 6 in) |
Draught: | 4.1 m (13 ft 5 in) |
Propulsion: | 4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21,000 hp (16,000 kW) |
Speed: | 24.5 knots (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph) |
Range: | 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) |
Endurance: | 50 days of food |
Boats & landing craft carried: | 2 × ETN boats |
Capacity: | 350 tonnes of fuel, 80 m3 (2,800 cu ft) of kerosene, 60 tonnes of potable water |
Complement: |
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Sensors and processing systems: |
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Armament: |
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Armour: | On sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre) |
Aircraft carried: | 1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90) |
Development and design
The frigate Al Riyadh, is an expanded anti-air version of the French La Fayette class, displacing about 4,700 t (5,181 short tons) and extended to 133 m (436 ft 4 in) in length.[2]
The ships' combat system, produced by Armaris (a Direction des Constructions Navales/Thales Group joint venture), is armed with Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles (SAM) launched from SYLVER vertical launchers (SYLVER - SYstème de Lancement VERtical). As with the La Fayette class, the primary offensive weapon is the anti-surface Exocet missile. The ships' main gun is the OTO Melara 76 mm super-rapid firing gun replacing the modèle 100 TR automatic gun of the La Fayette class. There are also four aft-mounted 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, firing DTCN F17 heavyweight anti-submarine torpedoes. Al Riyadh is capable of a maximum speed of ~46 kilometres per hour (25 kn; 29 mph) with a maximum range of 13,000 kilometres (7,019 nmi; 8,078 mi).[2][3]
Construction and career
Al Riyadh was launched on 1 August 2000 at the DCNS dockyard in Lorient and commissioned on 26 July 2002.
Al Riyadh-class frigates
Three Al Riyadh class frigates have been built:
- Al Riyadh (812)
- the lead ship commissioned in 2002
- Makkah (814)
- commissioned in 2004
- Al Dammam (816)
- commissioned in 2004
References
- https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/euronaval-2020/2020/10/euronaval-naval-group-starts-upgrade-work-on-la-fayette-class-frigates/
- "Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) Class, Saudi Arabia". www.naval-technology.com. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- "Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) Class - Naval Technology". www.naval-technology.com. Retrieved 2020-11-29.